Beanies and Stardust
by cooper-jones
Summary: Betty always thought she knew what she wanted - a white picket fence life with a certain red haired best friend. However, when Jughead Jones, Archie's mysterious writer friend, moves in with Archie, suddenly her goals aren't exactly the same anymore.
1. Chapter 1

_**Double line break means change in POV**_

 _Fuck. I'm late_.

Betty Cooper thought as she jogged up the stairs to the third floor – where Archie lived. She glanced at the text she had got:

 _Meeting. 7:00 – A._

And she was nearly half an hour late.

It was her fault, though. Work had been a bitch and it didn't help that her boss seemed to insist on making her life a living hell. And she couldn't even complain to Veronica because her boss happened to be Reggie Mantle – aka the guy Veronica was currently passing her time. To his credit, Reggie seemed to really like Veronica. The same couldn't be said for her raven haired best friend, though. Every time Betty asked how things were going with them, Veronica would just tell her that the sex was great. Betty didn't know how to tell her that wasn't what she was asking about.

Glancing down at her watch, she whispered a final 'fuck' to herself before rapping on Archie's door. She didn't even need to knock twice – the door swung open, revealing Archie.

"Betty – finally!" He exclaimed and Betty instantly flushed with embarrassment.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry. I just had some-" her eyes fell on Veronica sitting on the breakfast bar.

"-work stuff," she finished, thinking of how she had spent the last hour going over various tablecloths with Reggie, deciding which one Veronica would like the most. Although Betty would never have pegged him for it, Reggie Mantle was a romantic at heart. Betty admired that he cared so much but also wished it didn't mean she had to stay for an hour when she could have been back home taking a shower.

"It's fine, come in. Coffee?" Archie held out a cup of coffee. Betty was stunned. Usually, the latecomers didn't get coffee. Well, unless the latecomer was Veronica. It warmed Betty's heart to hold the coffee. Even if the coffee itself was somewhat cold at this point.

"Thanks," she muttered, leaning against the breakfast beside Veronica. Kevin walked out of the bathroom and his eyes lit up at seeing Betty. She smiled and raised her coffee at him in greeting.

"Okay, Archie, we're all here. What news did you have?" Veronica asked, kicking Betty's side lightly in greeting.

"Well, you guys know my friend, Jughead Jones?"

"You mean the one you've mentioned at least once every day since coming back from France?" Kevin asked, making Betty chuckle. Archie rolled his eyes but seemed to forget this annoyance almost immediately because a wide smile replaced the annoyance.

"Well, he said he's moving to Riverdale. Says he's hit a block in his writing and wants to see if Riverdale can help him. He's going to live with me which means he's going to be a part of our little community here!" He finished with an odd flourish and Betty couldn't help smiling at his excitement about all of them meeting this Jughead Jones. Betty hoped Jughead was just a nickname.

"Archie, um, are you sure about this? I mean, the last roommate you had..." Veronica trailed off and Betty was thrown back to the night before Archie left for France.

" _Archie, you realise that this is the most I've seen of you, right? I swear, ever since Cheryl joined as a partner-" Valerie's voice soared out of the open window beside which Betty stood, listening on the fire escape._

" _What exactly are you implying?" Archie interrupted._

" _Exactly what you think I am."_

" _Valerie, there's nothing happening between me and Cheryl."_

" _Then why am I getting emails from her saying otherwise. She seems to believe she's going to steal you away. And, frankly, I don't blame her. I mean, she got you that big promotion and now the trip to France. Don't you see it, Archie? She's buying you so you'll stay with the company. Until a month ago you_ hated _your job. Now suddenly 'it's not that bad'?"_

" _Val, the only reason I'm going to France is because I think it'll be good for me – for us. I mean, if you were in my position, with everything Cheryl's doing for me, what would you do?" Archie asked and a disbeliving silence followed._

" _If you have to ask, Archie, you don't know me at all," she said and another long silence followed._

" _Whatever. Do whatever you want, Archie. Just know that I don't want any part of this. So, if you want to go to France, go. But I won't be here when you return. And don't – don't call me," she said and, a few seconds later, Betty heard Archie's lock click into place._

"It'll be fine, Ronnie. For one, I'm not dating Jughead so what I do shouldn't – and won't – concern him," Archie said, pulling Betty out of memories.

"Well, if you're sure," Veronica said, shrugging. Betty could hear the uncertainty in her tone and noticed Archie's crestfallen expression at her lack of support. So she did what she did best – she put on a big smile and, moving to stand beside Archie, said, "I, for one, can't _wait_ to meet Jughead."

The smile she got from Archie made this false support completely worth it.

"See? That's the kind of spirit I'm looking for! I really think you guys will love him – he's great," Archie said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close.

"Well, I'm always ready to meet new guys. How sure are we that he's straight?" Kevin said and Veronica laughed, the tension immediately dissipating. Archie laughed and shook his head.

"Sorry, buddy – you'll just have to figure that out for yourself."

"Aren't you dating someone, Kevin?" Veronica asked, tilting her head to one side. And just like the atmosphere reverted to the fun one it always was.

Jughead stared at his laptop. The blank page before him mocked him. The bestsellers stacked beside his laptop mocked him. The entire atmosphere he had created for his writing was now mocking him. After all he could think about was how his life had been until just two days ago.

The vase still lay a broken mess beside his dresser. He didn't want to mend it – it would make everything real. The broken vase somehow made it bearable. To know that there had been some collateral damage. Even if it was simply because someone bumped against the dresser by mistake.

" _I'm leaving," she said, making his flying fingers stop immediately. He turned around, staring at her in disbelief._

" _For vacation?"_

" _For... ever."_

" _T... I don't understand..." he stumbled forward, toward her, and the vase crashed and shattered. They both jumped when it happened._

" _I'm sorry, Jughead," she said, and left._

 _No answers. No closure._

He cursed the day he had met Archie Andrews. That idiot was the reason the last four months had been bliss followed by complete garbage. So why was he sitting here, staring at his inbox, waiting for Archie to reply to his email about staying with him at Riverdale? And why did he feel like a weight was lifted when Archie seemed more than happy to let him stay with him. He also got a list of people he was warned would be constatly flitting in and out of the flat.

 _Kevin Keller and his flatmate Veronica Lodge. And the upstairs neighbour Elizabeth (Betty as we call her) Cooper._

When Jughead looked them up, Elizabeth (Betty as her friends called her) Cooper was by far the most interesting. She had worked as a primary reporter for the local newspaper and then, somehow, she had given that up and now worked as an assistant to a Mr. Reginald Mantle. This seemed like a demotion to Jughead but he figured there was a story here he didn't know.

Over the next three days, he packed as much as he could and, finally, with three bags outside, he glanced at his little apartment one last time. His manager had offered him a bigger place (he could afford it) but he believed in the smaller the better. Big places made him feel alone and now, he was thankful for the tiny flat. France was the longest he had stayed in any place.

 _Well, Riverdale, here I come._


	2. Chapter 2

**Double line break means change in POV**

* * *

The plane landed and Jughead's eyes opened. He sighed – he was officially in a different continent. The overhead voice told him about the current outside temperature and everything. He wasn't really listening. All he could think about was how far away he was from France and everything he had known for the last three years.

Three years of knowing a country.

Three years of falling in love with the girl on the other side of the bar.

And now, it was like starting from scratch.

The laptop lay heavy on one shoulder, bouncing against his side. It reminded him of closing it to go to sleep on the plane. He had tried to write about the clouds, the ocean, anything. Nothing seemed to help him. The page was just as empty as before.

When he finally walked out of the airport, he saw Archie in the distance and wheeled his luggage towards him. Archie grinned and hugged him.

"Jughead! I'm so glad you decided to come to Riverdale!"

"You and me both, buddy," Jughead said, with a feigned laugh. Archie didn't catch on and simply insisted on taking the trolley from him.

* * *

Betty's phone began ringing on her bedstand. She groaned – if it was Reggie with another fake emergency, she was going to kill the bastard. Holding her phone above her face, she squinted at the screen, trying to figure out what it said.

 _The V to my B._

Veronica's name flashed across her phone. Sighing, she picked up, and said, "You better have a bloody good reason for waking me up before ten on my Saturday off."

"Betty! Kevin and I thought we could surprise Jughead with breakfast but we... well we completely fucked up and, well..."

"Tell me you didn't set anything on fire, Veronica," Betty groaned.

"The thing is... we're not making breakfast at home. We're at Archie's – the fire extinguisher is outside, Kev – and things aren't going very smoothly."

"I fucking hate you. I'll be right there," Betty said, reluctantly climbing out of bed and padding down the fire escape to Archie's flat downstairs. When she pushed the window open, smoke billowed out and, after overcoming the coughing, she climbed in. The place smelt like burnt eggs and cheese.

"Jesus Christ, how did you-" she broke out into another coughing fit as Veronica and Kevin rushed forward with water and juice, respectively. Once the smoke had cleared a little, Betty got a good look at the mess they had made. The eggs were stuck to the pan and the grilled cheese was basically black cheese in blacker bread. Sighing she took the pans off the stove and scraped off the contents into the bin.

"Do you guys want to run down to Pop's and get some breakfast, instead?" Betty asked, once she had managed to force Kevin and Veronica to wash the pans. They nodded mutely and she smiled. They agreed to meet downstairs in ten minutes. Betty traded in her pajama bottoms for jeans and quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail before going downstairs. Kevin and Veronica were looking spectacular considering they had just nearly burnt down Archie's flat.

* * *

Considering that Betty very rarely went to Pop's for breakfast, she was surprised at the crowd. She had figured that other people would be making the most of the Saturday and sleeping in. But no – at seven thirty in the morning, the place was brimming with people. But, since she and her friends got special treatment at Pop's (owing to them coming here for the longest time), Pop immediately cleared a table for them.

"Busy morning, isn't it?" She asked, taking a seat. Pop smiled.

"Not everyone wakes up at quarter past noon on a Saturday, Betty," he replied and Veronica and Kevin chuckled. They sat down, ordered coffees, and began going through the menu.

"Oh, Betty, thank you so – oh my god," Veronica said, looking over Betty's head. Frowning, Betty turned around, making eye contact with the man walking in, with Archie following closely behind. He had a beanie on but Betty could tell his hair was somewhat a mess.

For a moment, it felt like they were the only two in the diner.

But then Archie grinned and the moment ended. Pulling luggage behind them, they approached the table and Archie slid in beside Betty, pushing her to the corner. Jughead sat down beside him and Archie said, "Guys, I would like to introduce you to Jughead Jones."

"Ah so you're the famous Jughead! We've heard so much about you! I'm Veronica, by the way," Veronica exclaimed and Jughead chuckled. It was a low rumble and, when he smiled, Betty noticed that his smile didn't reach his ears.

"All good I hope," he replied and they all laughed.

"I wouldn't believe there could be anything to dislike about you, Jughead," Veronica said and Betty rolled her eyes. It was just like Veronica to flirt with a new male specimen.

"We shouldn't have a long conversation then. I'm afraid I may disprove that theory," Jughead replied and instantly Betty liked him more.

"So, Jughead, you were in France before this – what was that like?" Kevin asked.

"It was gorgeous uh..."

"Kevin."

"Right. France was gorgeous. Charming, beautiful. I suppose it helped that I stayed in the countryside more than the city. It was really calming, actually. Everyone should go, sometime. I'm sorry – I didn't catch your name," he said, looking at Betty.

"Betty. Well, Elizabeth. But everyone calls me Betty," she replied and he nodded. Betty felt like it was a knowing nod. Like he already knew her before coming. "So, Jughead, that can't be your real name... can it?" She asked the question she had been itching to ask since they had joined the table. Jughead chuckled again while Archie outright laughed.

"No – no. I'm afraid my real name is much worse than my nickname. My name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third," he said, clearly embarrassed by the name's Victorian grandeur. While Veronica and Kevin fought hard not to laugh, Betty's mind suddenly went back to her bookshelf.

"Wait, you're not FP Jones III, are you? The author?"

"At your service," he said, smiling at her. Suddenly he was so much more interesting.

"Your books are brilliant! I really like the way you frame the suspense in your novels – it gives me chills everytime," she gushed and felt Archie's hand brush against hers, making her stop. This time Jughead laughed.

"Thank you. I mean, it's always nice to meet a fan."

"Archie, you didn't tell me you knew FP Jones III!" Betty said, turning to Archie, who simply shrugged.

"He said he was obscure," was his only explanation and Betty rolled his eyes. She didn't care enough for this conversation to even argue that Jughead was a bestselling author. If anything, she was a little offended considering she had allowed Archie to borrow one of his books when he told her he wanted to know more about the author she couldn't seem to stop talking about.

"Anyway, Jughead, I'm afraid you'll find Riverdale is not nearly as grand as France. But I hope you'll be able to make a home out of it," Veronica said, swiftly changing the subject.

"Oh, I'm sure that isn't true. After all, from what Archie tells me, a lot happens in this small town," Jughead replied, the knowing smile playing along his lips again.

"And what exactly has Archie told you?" Betty asked, frowning at this smile. Jughead and Archie exchanged a glance before Jughead shrugged and said, "I guess you'll have to wait for the next book."

Archie laughed at this but it didn't sit well with Betty. After all, a surprising lot had happened in Riverdale over the past decade. It was no longer the small, safe town Betty had grown up knowing. But with everyone laughing at this, Betty gave an uneasy smile too.

Soon after, the breakfast arrived and these statements were forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3

**Double line break means a change in POV**

* * *

Jughead stood before the apartment, Archie and his friends, and suitcases around him. It was much more modern than the last place he had stayed in. And yet, it already seemed more welcoming. He really liked the idea of a brand new place like this.

Following Archie up to the flat, he walked in, and let his eyes sweep across the room. The first thing he realised was how much light was let in. Windows on either side allowed in more light than Jughead was comfortable with.

"I know it's smaller than your place in France, but-"

"It's perfect, Archibald," he said, smiling at Archie. Archie beamed back, beginning his tour of the flat. Jughead, however, was looking for any evidence that there had been a fight here before Archie had reached their destination. But he couldn't seem to find Archie's broken vase.

That was, until Archie opened the second bedroom door.

It wasn't so much a bedroom as much as a bedroom-cum-music studio. There was a microphone, three guitars, an amplifier, a stack of CDs and a player, along with two music stands scattered around the room. Not to mention the dusty stacks of sheet music lying everywhere. Jughead could see Archie's face go red with embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry, I just – I haven't opened this room since Val... um, you can sleep on the couch and I'll clean this mess up by tomorrow. Sorry about this, Jug."

"It's fine, Archie," Jughead said, smiling sympathetically and going back to the couch. He sat down there, grabbing the TV remote and flipping through the channels. He came to a stop on a Friends rerun. It was the episode with the drunk wedding. Immediately his mind flew back to memories.

 _Jughead drunkenly grinned at the bartender, his beanie askew atop his head as his new red-haired friend, Archibald Andrews, sat beside him. Motioning to the bartender, he turned to Archie and said, "I'm going to marry that girl someday."_

 _"You're really in deep, huh," Archie said, smiling at him with amusement. "Let me help you out, Jones," he added and raised his hand as Jughead frantically tried to pull his hand down. The bartender wandered over, smiling at the two men._

 _"What can I get you?" She asked. Jughead smiled stupidly._

 _"Well, I'll have another beer and Jughead would really like to have your number," Archie said, nonchalantly. She nodded and walked away. Archie shrugged and Jughead groaned._

 _"You've ruined this, Archibald."_

 _"Can't ruin something that doesn't exist, Jughead," he replied. As he said that, the bartender returned, holding a bottle of beer and a pen._

 _"One beer and," she grabbed Jughead's hand and scribbled down her number on his lower arm, "my number. Sorry, I assumed your friend would lose a piece of paper or napkin," she turned her attention back to Jughead and said, "Call me."_

"Oh I love this episode!" A voice came from behind Jughead, making him jump. He turned around to see Betty Cooper standing there, a spoon of yogurt in her mouth. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights in her faded pink t-shirt, light blue jacket and matching blue shorts.

"Hello to you, too," Jughead said while Betty smiled guiltily.

"Sorry. I just – I was out of yogurt. But Archie loves yogurt and always has some so I-" she stopped when Archie walked out, struggling to pull a t-shirt on over his head. Jughead didn't have to try psychoanalysing her to know what she wanted when she saw his flatmate's abs.

"Don't worry about it," he muttered, turning back to watch the episode. Even back in France, after Archie left, she had kept asking if the "hot ginger" would be returning. He supposed now that he was living with the ginger in question, he would be subject to a lot more people blatantly ogling the person he spent time with.

"Oh, Betty, hey," Archie said, finally pulling his t-shirt down.

"Hey, I was just-"

"Getting some yogurt, I can see. It's good, right?" Archie asked and Jughead scoffed. With the tone he used, one would assume Archie had made the yogurt. However, while he had expected Betty to call Archie out on this, he instead heard her make a sound of agreement.

"Yeah, it's great. I didn't know you liked vanilla."

"Well I had never tasted vanilla so..." Archie replied and Jughead finally turned back around, his eyes widening when he saw the proximity between Archie and Betty. It was as if, when he spoke of vanilla, he was referring to her. Jughead wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing. It was weird: they hadn't seemed like a couple back at the diner but here, with Archie standing so close to her and Betty clearly blushing, they looked like they were together.

They didn't fit together, but they definitely looked like they were.

"I'm glad you like it," Betty said, just loud enough for Jughead to hear. Honestly, had they forgotten that they weren't alone? He let out a fake sneeze to remind them of his presence and watched as the duo jumped apart, evidently embarrassed.

"Anyway, I should – I should go. I'll see you later. Bye, Jughead," she said, smiling at him. He gave an obligatory smile in response and Archie came back to the couch as Betty left via the fire escape. Giving him a teasing smile, Jughead said, "Well, you moved on from Valerie pretty quickly, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Archie asked, frowning at Jughead – clearly upset that Jughead would even suggest such a thing. Jughead simply opened his mouth and then shut it. It didn't take a genius to realise what Archie was doing to Betty.

But apparently Archie had below average intelligence.

* * *

Sure it had only been a week since Jughead had arrived, but he fit the group like a glove. In fact, Betty hadn't realised that they had been missing someone with sardonic humour until he arrived with his dependence on sarcasm and made even the littlest things hilarious. And, along with the arrival of Jughead Jones, the rains came. As per Betty's calculations, it was only a matter of time before the power cuts followed. And then, finally, it happened.

The rain started around eight, and by nine the power was out - as Betty had predicted. Picking up her phone, the group message she had with Archie, Kevin, Jughead, and Veronica was going crazy.

 _Someone needs to go figure out the generator. -A_

 _You had the idea, you get to go. -K_

 _I would, but I can't! Jughead opened the window and now it won't close. We're trying to save everything in that room. -A_

 _Excuses, Archiekins. -V_

 _Guys, this is serious, we can't see shit. -J_

 _It's almost as if we're all victim to the same power cut. -V_

 _Ronnie, if you have nothing helpful to say, why don't you just say nothing? -A_

 _Wow. Rude. And here I was actually considering going down and fixing the generator. -V_

 _Bullshit. -K_

 _Ugh. Whatever. -V_

Her phone pinged again with a private message from Archie.

 _Betty, I see you reading all the messages. Can you please go down and do it? -A_

 _Fuck no. I'm not going down there alone, Arch. -B_

 _I can send Jughead down with you. He can hold the torch. -A_

Betty's resolve began to slip already. After all, Archie had private messaged her instead of calling her out on the group. Sighing, she typed out her reply.

 _Okay. -B_

 _You're a lifesaver, Betty. -A_

 _I know – it's my worst quality. -B_

Archie responded with a laughing emoji and the conversation ended there. Betty sighed and navigated her way to the dresser, took out a flashlight, and put on sneakers and a jacket before walking downstairs to Archie's flat.

It was odd going to the front door instead of going down the fire escape.

As she approached, a shadowed figure in a beanie and an oversized jacket was shutting the door. Jughead finished locking the door and turned around, hand flying up to hide his face, blinded by Betty's flashlight. Guiltily she pointed it to the ground as he let out a shout of pain.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking," she mumbled and he blinked a few times before giving her a pained smile.

"It's alright. After you," he motioned down the staircase. She nodded and went ahead, hearing him in tow.

The basement had honestly never been scarier. While she descended, Betty began to have flashbacks of every horror movie she had ever watched. The fact that it doubled as a storage space didn't help – there were boxes everywhere. There were also piles of broken utensils – _why don't people throw things out_ – and other such trash laying around. But the worst was when she reached the floor. The moment her shoe touched the floor, her body instantly recoiled but it was too late – her shoes were already soaked.

Apparently the storm outside meant the basement had water in it.

She felt Jughead's hands on her shoulders as he came up behind her, keeping her from falling over while she recoiled.

"Everything okay?"

"Sure. If disgusting basement water is your cup of tea."

"My, my, Miss Cooper, how did you know?" He replied dryly, drawing a chuckle from Betty.

She sighed and stated, "The fuse box is on the other side."

"Behind all the boxes?" Jughead tried to ask casually but Betty could sense the uneasiness in his tone.

"Mhm. Why? Are you scared?"

"... No," he hesitated while replying, and Betty laughed.

"It's fine. Nothing's going to jump out at you from the boxes."

"After you then, o brave one." She rolled her eyes at his comment, although she couldn't hold back a smile. It was actually worrying how quickly she was befriending Jughead.

 _Veronica doesn't agree_ , she thought with a smile.

 _"I don't see why we need to add someone to the group. There's four of us – that's such a wholesome number. We don't need a fifth," Veronica said, barging into Betty's room._

 _"Hello to you too, V," Betty muttered under her breath, taking another spoonful of yogurt._

 _"No, seriously, B. Don't you think four is enough? What's the need for a fifth member? And does it really have to be_ that _snarky bastard? I mean he literally mocked me for living with Kevin. That right there – it's borderline homophobia. You know what? I bet he's closeted too. Archie better watch out – he's going to wake up one day and-"_

 _"So when Jughead mocks you for befriending Kevin because of his orientation, it's borderline homophobia, but you insinuating that he's gay based on the false accusation that he's 'homophobic' isn't problematic in the least?" Betty interrupted, looking at Veronica incredulously. Veronica stopped pacing and stared at her for a few moments with her mouth open, basically asking for flies to enter._

 _"I mean... I guess," she stopped her sentence short and sat down on the bed as if all of her beliefs had just crumbled before her eyes._

 _"V, it's okay. Besides, Jughead doesn't care about Kevin being gay. He mocked you because when you told him the story of how you met Kevin, you included the bit where you said 'gay, thank god – let's be best friends,'" Betty explained, shrugging. Veronica scowled at her._

 _"Anyway, what do you think of Jughead? I still don't like him very much, but if you do, and think he's a good addition to the group, I can put my differences aside and try to get along with him."_

 _"I... like him. I think he's pretty nice. He has a great taste in TV shows, definitely. When I went down to Archie's place he was watching Friends. But otherwise, I think he's nice too. We've only known him for a few hours, really, so I don't feel equipped to really judge him yet."_

 _"Hmm... I guess so," Veronica replied, but Betty could tell that she remained unconvinced. She knew that a week later, if Veronica had asked her the same question, she would have given the same answer. Except she now felt equipped to really judge him._

"Ready to enter the belly of the beast?" Jughead brought her back to the present and she gave him a strained smile.

Betty gingerly stepped into the water, a wave of nausea washing over her as she feels the water soak into her shoes and her feet become soaked. Fighting the cringe, she lowered her second foot into the water, suppressing the second wave of repulsion. She stood for a few moments, allowing her feet to get accustomed to the temperature and feel of the water before she took a few steps forward and turned around.

"Your turn."

Betty had only seen people in cartoons prod the water before stepping in. And yet, right before her, the scene unfolded with Jughead putting the tip of his shoe into the water, allowing it to soak for a moment, before recoiling as a chill ran down his spine. Betty had to bite back a laugh. He was about to take off his shoes but Betty quickly stopped him-

"Don't! The floor here is kinda disgusting. And wet, well, it's going to be disgusting _and_ slimy."

"Jesus Christ," he said, letting go of his shoe. Then, surprisingly quickly, he stepped into the water. Betty raised her eyebrows and smiled at him in salute. He gave a surprisingly bashful smile and, looking away, said, "It was the best thing I could think to do."

She nodded in approval, still smiling. Then she turned around and began wading towards the box, one hand holding the flashlight and the other outstretched to push boxes and other stuff out of the way.

"So what's the deal with you and Archie?" Jughead asked suddenly, making Betty jump and knock over a broken toaster. The clang of its fall was somewhat muffled by the water but was still jarring compared to the oppressive silence of the basement.

"What do you mean?" She asked, keeping her tone carefully even.

"Well, there's clearly something going on there."

"There's nothing," she said a little too hastily. She mentally kicked herself for using such a secretive tone and tried to rectify the situation, "I mean, we're just friends. Archie – well, he's only ever been single for a handful of months in his teenage years. He's flitted from partner to partner. But they've all been serious, unlike Veronica's partners."

"Really? What kind of people does Veronica date?"

"Right now she's dating Reggie Mantle."

"Reggie Mantle... isn't he-"

"My boss? Yeah. This means my job has primarily become picking out tablecloth patterns that Veronica would like."

"Does he only give her tablecloths?" He asked while Betty rolled her eyes.

"Very funny. What about you? Got anyone special in your life? Archie didn't really give much of an introduction," she returned.

"No. None. Been more of a lone wolf, I guess," he replied but Betty knew he was using the same even tone she had used previously.

* * *

"Very funny. What about you? Got anyone special in your life?" She inquired and her unexpected question startled him. There really couldn't have been a more clichéd moment to bond – in a dark basement, alone, wading to a fuse box.

 _"Wait, wait, wait," she said, sitting up, her legs pulling back on his lap, "you're telling me you've never been in a serious relationship?"_

 _"That's not one hundred percent true. I did have a girlfriend. Eleanor."_

 _"Ooo... Eleanor. Sounds British."_

 _"Oh yeah – she adored tea. Of course, I haven't really spoken to her since the second grade so my word really isn't gospel," he said, a smile playing along his lips. Her eyes widened and she laughed while hitting him with a cushion._

 _"You bastard! I believed you!" She exclaimed while he laughed, lifting his arms up to protect himself from the cushion she was hitting him with._

 _"But seriously – you've never been with anyone long term?" She asked, incredulously. He shook his head, a smug smile playing along his lips. She leaned back into the sofa, shock evident on her face._

 _"You okay, T?"_

 _"Yeah – I'm just. How do you know we will last if you've never done it before?"_

 _"Because, the reason it didn't work previously was, in addition to the people I was with, I needed other people. When I'm with you, I don't need anyone else."_

"No. None. Been more of a lone wolf I guess," he replied, knowing that he had spoken for too long. He couldn't see her face but he sensed her disbelief.

To his relief, she didn't question it.

They proceeded in silence for a bit, navigating the basement turned junkyard, when he realised she hadn't answered his question about Archie. Well, not honestly, anyway. All she had done was tell him about past loves. Well, if you could call them that. From what Archie had told him, the closest he'd come to love was when Valerie and him started going out. Val had also been his longest relationship – they had lasted almost a year before Cheryl swooped in and ruined everything.

Jughead would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping to meet this red-haired princess with claws that everyone seemed to love and hate simultaneously.

They finally reached the generator and Betty yanked it open. It seemed like some kid had decided it would be a hilarious idea to completely fuck with the wiring because Betty let out an annoyed sigh when she looked inside. Jughead, staring at the amalgamation of wires, realised how little he actually knew about this stuff in that moment.

"Can you just," she motioned to his flashlight and the wires. Nodding he quickly held it at an angle to ensure the entire inside was illuminated.

"Okay... so if I just... and this one... um here... why won't you... ah okay, you go here... red should go in red but... wait what?... okay yeah," were some of the less colourful phrases Betty used as she worked on the generator. Jughead watched in awe as she rearranged the entire thing four times before deciding on the final formula. Then she flipped the black switch beside the wires and the tube light in the basement flickered to life.

"You did it!" He exclaimed.

"I – I did it!" Betty reiterated with joy.

"Ha-ha!" He laughed and, on impulse, hugged her. The second he realised what he was doing, he pulled away.

"I'm – I'm sorry. I don't know-"

"It's alright. I think the situation warranted it. Now, let's get out before my toes fall off," she replied, a smile illuminating her face. Jughead grinned and motioned for her to lead the way as he already had several times that night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Line break means change in POV**

* * *

The rain didn't relent for almost four days, oscillating between heavy and not-so-heavy until finally giving way to a light drizzle right around five in the afternoon. This, Jughead learnt, meant that the flats above and below his emptied into his flat. He realised that irrespective of who called a meeting, the meeting was held in their flat.

Today, Veronica had called the meeting and, judging by Kevin's excitement, it was going to be one he probably wouldn't enjoy. Although he would never say it, Jughead considered it odd to have Betty (or him, for that matter) as a part of this group. Especially considering that the other three – the arguably louder three – were extroverts in every way. It also hadn't taken long to realise that Betty seemed to just go with the flow and rarely objected to anything.

 _"So, I have to ask – I understand your friendship with Veronica, but Betty… um, no offence, Archie, but how did that happen?" Jughead asked and Archie laughed._

 _"Betty and I have been friends since we were kids. We were always in the same school and in the same class. In the second grade, when I had trouble with reading, Betty took it upon herself to tutor me every single day so that we'd graduate together instead of me being held back a class," he said and Jughead laughed – it was so bizarre and yet he could picture a seven year old Betty, with a tight ponytail, approaching Archie with a determined glint in her eye._

 _"And when I passed," Archie continued, "I was so happy, I kissed her and asked her to marry me."_

 _"Wow, you move fast, don't you?" Jughead said with a laugh and Archie chuckled._

 _"And she said, 'Oh little Archie, we're too young. But ask me again when we're eighteen and I'll say yes.' And then eighteen rolled around and I was dating someone but Betty had remained my best friend through all this. Veronica and I met in sophomore year, and the moment she saw Betty, Veronica decided that they were going to be best friends."_

 _"Wait, if they're best friends, why is Veronica living with Kevin?"_

 _"Betty and Ronnie used to live together. I think they lived together for a year and Kevin lived downstairs with his boyfriend. Then there was a terrible breakup and Ronnie decided to stay with Kevin for a while – just to make sure that someone was there for him. She realised that she was much more compatible as a roommate with Kevin and Betty realised that she prefered living alone. I mean I agreed with their decision – I had to go upstairs to calm Betty and Veronica down sometimes, when the arguments got too heated."_

"So guys, Kevin and I were talking last night, and we realised that we haven't thrown a party in a while!" Veronica exclaimed and Jughead had to bite back the instinctive groan. It wasn't that Jughead didn't like parties… well, that was a lie – he _loathed_ parties. He briefly liked them when T had insisted on taking him to them, but otherwise he couldn't even stand his own birthday.

"You really think anyone's going to turn up? According the report, there's going to be a storm again soon," Betty said. Jughead knew it was a lie, he had been listening to the same report, and the reporter had seemed rather optimistic. But he was thankful that someone whose opinion had weight spoke up against the idea.

Apparently Betty's opinion had no weight, because Veronica promptly waved her hand, brushing away any negativity her plan was met with.

"I don't care if the UN said it was going to rain, we're having a party. I mean we also need to introduce people to Jughead, don't we?"

"You really don't have to-"

"Nonsense! We must! I'll send out a mass invite, okay? Don't worry, Kevin and I will throw it so it'll be our flat that gets trashed," she said and Jughead frowned.

"Gets trashed? What? Why? This isn't a high school party, why would a place get trashed?" He asked, confused and beside him Betty let out a breath of laughter, only worrying him more.

"Oh Jughead Jones, with me, _everything_ is a high school party," Veronica said, with a particularly evil glint in her eye.

* * *

Betty glanced at Kevin in the mirror as she turned around, unsure of how she felt in the dress she was wearing.

"Well?" She finally asked after adjusting her dress for what seemed like the millionth time. The problem with belt dresses was that Betty never knew how tight was too tight. Which was why she often required Kevin's expertise on the matter. Fortunately for her, Kevin seemed enthralled no matter what she seemed to do.

"You look great, Betty. Veronica will be proud," he said, giving her a broad grin and an approving nod.

"Yes, well, _Veronica_ isn't whose eye I'm trying to catch. Are you sure red is the way to go?" She asked, looking back into the mirror at the red lipstick. Red lipstick was as daring as Betty Cooper got when she wasn't donning that black wig (which was now safely tucked away with her sister who was god knows where).

"It's called Seduce Scarlet for a reason, Betty. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll notice," Kevin said, rolling his eyes.

"Ugh! Look at me. You know, I can't remember the last time I was so worked up over a boy. I can actually feel how pathetic I probably seem," she groaned, quickly putting away her makeup lest she change her mind yet again.

"You're doing fine. Better than fine actually. So how are you feeling? Excited, nervous?" Kevin asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Betty knew that Kevin thrived on drama, it's what made him such a perfect roommate for Veronica, but this spark was more intense than one she'd seen in awhile. Unable to hold back a smile, she turned away from the mirror to face him.

"Both?" He laughed at her response.

"Well, if you need any help down there, just come get me and I'll talk you through whatever freak out you're having," she rolled her eyes at his reassurance, failing to hold back a laugh nonetheless.

"Thanks, Kev." She walked to the door. Initially she had considered using the fire escape, but she figured that by the time she got there, the party would be in full swing and Veronica may not take too kindly to Betty climbing in through the window. Besides, Kevin had a key, which meant she could enter without any awkward at-the-door conversations with people who weren't Veronica. She opened her door to find Jughead on the other side, a closed fist suspended in mid-air. He didn't say anything for a few seconds and Betty could see him look her up and down multiple times.

Clearly the dress was having the desired effect.

"Jughead?" She asked and he cleared his throat, momentary fear clouding his eyes. Betty bit back a laugh as he stuttered for a moment before managing to say, "Veronica sent me to get you."

"Great. Shall we go down, then?" She asked and he nodded, his cheeks tinging with embarrassment. Betty smiled, walking past him. He didn't look too bad himself, if she could say so. She supposed he would look conventionally better if the beanie was off, but for Betty, pairing a beanie with a shirt and formal pants somehow made the outfit better. Ironically. Kevin unlocked the door and Betty walked in, Jughead walking in behind her.

"The horror," she heard him mutter under his breath, and turned around, giving him a smile of agreement. He was lucky Veronica was elsewhere, or he would have received an earful about that particular comment.

But Betty agreed – the flat was full of people. There was music playing, and people were everywhere. And, apparently, Betty had a magnet which attracted the worst people. Cheryl Blossom appeared, wearing an outfit infinitely more daring than Betty's. But Betty didn't care about that. What she did care about was the fact that, linked with Cheryl, was Archie, who already seemed drunk.

"Betty! You finally made it! And you brought a date! Cheryl Blossom," Cheryl extended a hand towards Jughead.

"Oh he's not-"

"Jughead Jones. I'm not her date," Jughead interrupted her, shaking Cheryl's hand. Betty could see Cheryl eyeing the beanie distastefully.

"A pleasure. So, Betty, how is Polly?" she said, turning back to Betty.

"Fine," Betty said, her voice carefully even – the way it was whenever someone mentioned Polly.

"Great. I'm glad one of them are. Come on, Archie, let's go… be elsewhere," she said, smiling at Archie, who still seemed completely confused.

"Wait I need to – I need to talk to Betty," he said, and Betty's heart soared. Even drunk, Archie knew better than to be led around by a Blossom. Cheryl, clearly believing that she was already better than Archie deserved, looked Betty up and down once before saying, "Fine. But when you decide to keep better company, I'll be getting myself a drink," she said and turned on her heel to leave.

"Wow," she heard Jughead say behind her.

"Cheryl Blossom is… something else," Betty agreed. "Archie, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Um… let's go to the fire escape. I don't want to talk about it here," he said and Betty nodded, her stomach tying itself into knots and simultaneously, spontaneously filling with butterflies. How the butterflies survived the knots Betty couldn't fathom. Jughead excused himself awkwardly and Betty helped Archie climb out onto the fire escape.

"So what's up?" Betty asked, once they were out in the cool night air, leaning against the railing and stretching out her legs a bit. Kevin told her that that made them more noticeable. It was only now that she was actually trying did Betty realise how uncomfortable trying to be noticeable made her feel.

"Okay, um, I need your advice. You know I cherish your opinion above everyone else's, so that's why I thought I should ask you before telling anyone else," Betty waited for him to continue with bated breath.

"I'm thinking of calling Val."

"Yes!" She exclaimed before he finished his sentence, and then, realising what he said, the smile vanished from her face and she frowned. Archie's eyes, on the other hand, lit up, and he grinned.

"I knew it! Okay, I'm going to do it right now. But wait, what should I-"

"No! Archie, wait," Betty said, pulling him back as he attempted to climb back into Veronica's flat. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean you guys literally _combusted_. And you haven't even spoken to her since you got back from France. Does she even know you're back?"

"See, that's why I want to call her. I know she said not to call but I don't think she meant it. I mean, she was just really angry, and people say all kinds of things when they're angry!"

"I don't know, Arch, she seemed pretty damn serious to me. I mean, when you told me what happened, she sounded pretty serious. I – I don't think you should call her," _in my completely unbiased opinion,_ Betty thought. The initial high she had felt when Archie had wanted to speak to her was wearing off, and now she could feel the nip of the air against her bare legs. It didn't help that more of them were exposed than usual.

"But what if she was the one?" He asked quietly, and any trace of hope Betty had remaining was trampled on.

"I think that if you thought she was the one, you would have never allowed yourself to be bought by Cheryl!" she climbed upstairs, towards her flat. She heard him call her name as she walked away, but she didn't bother turning around as she blinked away tears, furious at herself for letting it go this far or sink this deep.

* * *

It wasn't that Betty Cooper wasn't attractive. It was just that Jughead rarely noticed these things. Even when he was in France, he was always bad at giving compliments owing to the fact that he rarely noticed things. In fact, it had been pointed out more than once that, considering his profession, he was terribly unobservant.

And yet, this was one of the times that he definitely noticed.

Maybe if Betty Cooper had been in a pink dress which fell below her knees and didn't have red lipstick on, Jughead would be at a loss for compliments. But never in a million years had he expected to be at a loss for words around her. But, in the short purple dress that dipped low in the front (and, as he would later find out, in the back), and the red lipstick to go with it, she was a vision.

And yet it wasn't the outfit itself that caught him. It was the fact that those overbearing red lips curved into the same innocent smile she always wore. It was the beauty in the irony between the outfit and who she was that truly caught his eye.

Irony – now _that_ was something he knew how to appreciate.

This left him at a loss for words for a few moments as he stared at her, somewhat creepily in hindsight, taking in everything.

"Jughead?" She asked, pulling him out of his admiration. Feeling his face flush with embarrassment he managed to stutter out an explanation and saw her eyes shine with amusement as she and Kevin led the way back downstairs.

Seeing Cheryl was a completely different experience than seeing Betty. For one, there was no irony to her outfit. The second Jughead saw Cheryl, he knew he was looking at someone who knew how attractive they were and knew how to make the most of it. It would have been a gross overstatement to say that he was surprised to see Cheryl using Archie as her arm candy. What did surprise him, however, was how quickly his roommate seemed to get drunk. Meeting Cheryl was a blur. However, he did realise, nonetheless, that Cheryl disapproved of his general presence due to his beanie.

Now, standing with a drink, he had a clear view of the couple on the fire escape. He wondered just how drunk Archie was because even from across the room, Jughead could tell that Betty was attempting to put her legs on display. Archie, however, seemed completely uninterested, which made Jughead snort. For the millionth time, he wondered if Archie knew how lucky he was that someone like Betty was giving him so much attention. Sure, Jughead had only known Betty for a month, but already he felt like he could speak to her with more ease than anyone else in the group. At this moment, he saw Betty climb up the stairs, arms crossed.

 _Goddammit Archibald._

Something in him wanted to go after her. To go up and speak to her – to find out what dumb thing his roommate had said this time. After all, in spite of it being only a month, Jughead had already heard Archie say enough stupid things to fill an encyclopaedia.

And then his eyes fell on the white clutch she had brought in with her. _Perfect._

Archie entered just as Jughead got out onto the fire escape. Archie didn't seem to notice that Jughead was on his way out, which was a relief. Once safely out, Jughead climbed up to Betty's window. Due to each flat being below the other, all the windows were the same – in the living room. And, from the window, Jughead could see Betty sitting on the couch, already in a t-shirt and sweats, flipping through TV channels. He tried opening the window only to find it was locked. He knocked and she looked up, her expression morphing from hurt into confusion when she saw him at the window. He held up her bag in indication and could swear she had a small smile when she came to the window and opened it.

"Hey there, Juliet."

She stepped aside, allowing him to climb in, and he handed her the clutch. She shut the window behind him and took it from him, placing it on the small round dining table she had. It hit Jughead that this was the first time he had ever been in Betty's house. It somehow seemed bigger than his flat – although that may be due to the fact that there was only one person living here.

"Thanks… for the bag," Betty said before going into the open kitchen. "Do you want something? Tea?"

"No – no, I'm good, thanks," he said and leaned against the nearest counter as she brewed some tea. "You okay?" He asked cautiously.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just not good with large parties. They're a little," she cleared her throat and sniffed again, "overwhelming."

"Yeah, I find talking to Archie overwhelming too," he said and she gave a laugh before turning around to face him.

"Did you like it? I mean, it was for you."

"Parties aren't really my thing. I would much rather just go to Pop's than have this kind of 'celebration'."

"Don't tell Veronica that," he chuckled at her response. There were a few moments of silence that followed where they simply stared at the floor, occasionally glancing at each other.

"He's an idiot, you know," Jughead finally said, the words tumbling out before he could stop himself. Betty glanced up at him, her eyes glazing over with tears and confusion.

"What?"

"Archie. He's an idiot. He doesn't have any idea how lucky he is to have someone like you care about him to this extent," he said and saw a tear escape Betty's eye as she stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't tell if he had overstepped or not.

"You don't even know me," her voice was so soft he barely heard it. In response he shrugged.

"I've heard his stories to know enough. And I know that you are too good for him. Just like you were in the second grade. Just like you have been every single time he's had a romantic partner and turned to you for help with her. I'm just saying, Betty, if you choose to come back down to the party, do it for yourself, not for him," he said. He now realised what word vomit truly meant.

And yet Betty hugged him.

He saw her half an hour later at the party, wearing a white top and pink skirt and pink lipstick – looking much more comfortable with herself. She laughed easily when Veronica commented on her taking fashionably late to a whole new level and, although she didn't speak to him, every time she caught Jughead's eye, she would smile and give him a small nod. He returned the gesture and eventually climbed out onto the fire escape again – this time to go back to his flat.

"I'm assuming you'll be back in half an hour?" He heard Betty say and turned to see her sticking her head out of the fire escape, looking up at him. He laughed.

"No, I think I'm going to call it a night."

"And you were going to leave without saying goodnight? It's your party," she said, climbing out onto the fire escape too.

"It's really not, Betts, we don't have to pretend otherwise."

Luckily she didn't seem to mind Betts. In fact, it seemed to make her smile. And it was a genuine smile. He nodded and turned to leave again.

"Hey," she called and he turned around, "so now you know my sob story. I hope someday I'll know yours."

"What makes you think I have one?"

"You're not the only one Archie talks to," she said with the hint of a smirk. He chuckled and nodded.

"Someday, then," and turned around, going up a few more steps before turning back around on an impulse. "Goodnight, Betty Cooper."

"Goodnight, Jughead Jones," she replied with a smile, before disappearing into the flat downstairs. And for the first time in three years, Jughead felt himself comparing a completely new smile to a ray of sunshine.


	5. Chapter 5

**Line break means change in POV. Also, the one quote that is now officially canon has nothing to do with the canon bc I wrote this before 2.05 aired. Js. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Over the following days, Betty managed to avoid any deep conversations with Jughead – much to her relief. But at the same time, although she would never admit it, a part of her was glad that they had talked. There was the added fact that now, everything Archie did, she construed as clues that he didn't like her.

And there were a lot.

Like when she had called him one time to talk through her stress only to have him tell her he was too busy to talk to her. Well, he had asked if it was urgent and she had said, as she usually did, "No it's fine. We'll talk later."

They never talked later.

A month ago, she would have dismissed these things as trivial – _he probably forgot, it's okay, I would too_ – but now she started to get annoyed. She nearly snapped at him once but managed to bite it back and instead gave him the usual "it's okay" smile before going back to her flat, wanting to tear her hair out. Veronica's incessant questioning about her out of character behaviour around Archie didn't make the situation better.

 _"What an idiot!" Betty muttered furiously to herself as the door slammed behind her. "I explicitly asked for ice cream – it was his fucking turn but does he get me ice cream? Noooo. But of course, Veronica gets all the expensive vegetables that she wants. She can't even cook! Ugh! I just-" her muttering was interrupted by hesitant knocking on her fire escape window. Looking out, she saw Veronica crouching there, giving her a slightly nervous smile. Sighing, Betty opened the window._

 _"What's up, V?" She asked, going back to keep her ice cream-less groceries away. She asked for ice cream every time anyone went to buy groceries and yet she never seemed to get it. Weirdly, that only seemed to happen when Archie went to buy groceries._

 _"Hey, B, you okay? You kinda stormed out of Archie's."_

 _"Yes, well you would too if you asked for ice cream three times and never got it. I would go get it myself but I'm busy, you know? I mean, I put one thing on the list while everyone else puts like five things and guess who doesn't get their share of groceries? Of course, it's me!"_

 _"B, if this is about the ice cream, I can go get some for you," Veronica said, cautiously and cluelessly. Betty gave an exasperated sigh. She really didn't want to talk about any of this._

 _"No. It's… whatever. It's how it is."_

 _"It's just… I've never seen you that way around Archie," Veronica said in a rather small voice._

 _"There's only so many times a girl can excuse missing ice cream," she replied with a sarcastic smile, ending the conversation._

"Betty, hey, are you done with the report yet?" Reggie asked, appearing at the glass door separating his office from Betty's, interrupting her stream of thoughts and bringing her back to reality.

"I'll have it by the end of the day," she said with a sigh, and Reggie nodded. Betty couldn't wait for said end of day.

As soon as she got into her car, her phone pinged with a message on the group chat. It was in reply to her message.

 _Going grocery shopping – send in your requests. -B_

 _I need lettuce. I promised myself I'd start eating salads again. -V_

 _Great. -B_

 _Veronica please. Don't do this to us. If you start eating healthy you know I'll start too. On that note, some chicken wings? My grandma sent me this great recipe that I want to try. -K_

 _Only if you promise to give us some. -B_

 _It's for my boyfriend! -K_

 _Regardless. -B_

 _Fine.. -K_

 _Pretty sure we're out of yogurt. -A_

 _Yeah we are. Please pick some up, I don't think I'd be able to stand another day of poor wee Archiekin's yogurt-less troubles. -J_

 _Hahaha which flavour? -B_

 _How about vanilla? -J_

Betty stared at her phone in disbelief for a few seconds, reliving that day. Thinking back on it now, she already realised how cringeworthy it was and shuddered once before laughing. Switching to private chat, she sent Jughead a text.

 _You fucking asshole. -B_

 _I saw an opportunity and I took it. You would have done the same. -J_

 _If you think that then you already know me better than I thought you did. -B_

 _I choose to take that as a compliment. -J_

 _You're still an asshole. -B_

 _I regret nothing. Oh, btw, I have a surprise waiting for you at the grocery store. Wanna guess? -J_

 _Is it you? -B_

 _How did you… you know what nevermind. You ruin everything, Betty Cooper. -J_

Betty laughed out loud and began driving.

* * *

Jughead saw Betty walking towards the store and instinctively smiled. Although he wouldn't admit it, Betty Cooper was becoming one of his favourite people. After all, she was smart, confident, beautiful, hardworking, and the only person he'd met who was more practical than he was. She tackled situations with perfect calm and rarely (if ever) lost her temper. The only time he had seen her lose her temper was when she had climbed into their apartment for ice cream, only to storm out when Archie admitted to using the ice cream money for more yogurt.

 _"Okay, cereal, carrots, pasta, pasta sauce, microwave pizzas…" Archie continued listing things as he emptied the contents of the grocery bag onto the breakfast bar with Veronica and Kevin hovering like vultures. Jughead's job was to keep a close eye on them since they were prone to stealing groceries that weren't theirs and replenishing the stolen groceries when it was their turn (sometimes they stole the ones they were supposed to give back too – Jughead didn't understand it). Jughead had learnt this the hard way._

 _"Where's Betty?" He asked. As if on cue, the window slid open and Betty climbed in, humming softly. Jughead had gotten used to Betty's humming. It wasn't hard since she was an incredible singer – or so he had heard. Veronica told him that Betty never sang around people but she sang in the shower which was why Veronica knew._

 _"I'm here!" She announced and Jughead gave her an amused smile. Walking over to the bar, she glanced at the slowly deflating grocery bags. She stared for a moment before making her way to the fridge and opening the freezer._

 _"Um, Arch?"_

 _"Yeah, Betts?"_

 _"Where's my ice cream?" Although she asked with a smile on her face, there were venomous undertones to her voice. Jughead had only read in books about people with the ability to be poisonously sweet, and now Betty was living proof that people did have this ability. Archie clearly understood this too, because he instantly looked guilty and slightly scared. Although not nearly as guilty and scared as he should have looked. In fact, it just looked like a rehearsed look – like he was preparing for this._

 _"Fuck, Betty! I can't believe I forgot again! Ugh, I thought I had just taken extra money by accident so I bought the carrots with that. I'm so sorry," he said, giving the most insincere apology Jughead had ever been party to. Jughead guessed that Betty was supposed to melt and comply and accept this bullshit apology._

 _"You spent my ice cream money on carrots?" Betty said, dangerously softly, the smile no longer on her face. Instantly Archie's face shifted from false guilt to very real worry. "You spent my hard earned ice cream money on some fucking carrots? On health food?" She repeated when Archie didn't say anything. Archie opened and shut his mouth several times, searching for something to say._

 _"I – I'm sorry, Betts. I didn't know it was such a big deal," he said the worst possible string of words. Jughead wanted to punch and protect him simultaneously._

 _"Oh no, it's not a big deal at all. I mean, it's only the third fucking time you've claimed to have forgotten my ice cream. When we decided to do monthly grocery-buying turns, I assumed we were all mature adults who knew how to make a basic grocery list and stick to it. Apparently I was wrong. I'm sorry for expecting so much from you, Archie."_

 _Jughead was so stunned, he barely registered her storming out. Archie looked like he had been slapped (Jughead suspected that Archie would have preferred that to the sarcasm Betty had showered on him) and Veronica and Kevin seemed to not want to steal any groceries. Jughead felt simultaneously terrified and in awe of Betty. If anything, he was somewhat proud that she had said all that instead of simply letting it go like every other time._

"How come you're here? I thought you guys avoided the supermarket like the plague unless it was your turn to get the groceries. I know I do," she said, the glass doors sliding open as she approached and the heat inside washing over them. Considering how cold it was outside, this was a welcome change for Jughead, who tried to walk in as casually as possible behind Betty.

Betty grabbed a cart and pulled out her phone, going through the list. Jughead peeped over her shoulder and was surprised to see that yogurt wasn't on the list.

"Um, Betty?"

"Yeah?"

"Isn't that list missing something?"

"No, it isn't," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"But didn't-"

"I never forget to add things to the list, Jughead," she interrupted him and Jughead fell silent, the situation sinking in. He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. Betty noticed and, with a satisfied smile of her own, said, "Shall we begin?"

An hour later, Betty and Jughead were standing in line to bill their groceries. The line moved slowly and, when they were finally one person away from reaching the counter, the person in front of them, in an attempt to put their basket on the counter, dropped it, the contents spilling everywhere. Jughead instinctively rolled his eyes and instantly felt bad for doing so when he saw Betty crouch down, helping the man in front of them. Jughead was about to do the same but was too late. He noticed, however, that as Betty handed back the Lucky Charms, her movements slowed as her eyes narrowed.

"Trev? Oh my god, hi!" Betty exclaimed, her face breaking out into a smile. While Jughead frowned, the man grinned back.

"Betty? Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It really has. So, how've you been?"

"It's been – one moment," he paused to pull out his card to pay, "- good!" He finished paying and moved away, allowing Betty and Jughead to go forward. "How have things been with you?"

"Great! I mean, I can't complain."

"Still working for your mom?"

"With. I was working _with_ her. Not for her. But no, it wasn't really my cup of tea so now I'm Reggie's assistant."

"Reggie? As in Reggie _Mantle_?"

"The one and only."

"Wow. I guess you never really leave high school, huh?" He said and Betty giggled. Jughead frowned slightly: they weren't close, that was evident – Betty seemed to keep him at arm's length. And yet, the way she laughed at his rather regular – Jughead thought – use of vocabulary told a somewhat different story. He continued unloading groceries onto the counter. It was when he put a jar of jam a little harder than intended onto the counter that Betty seemed to remember he was there.

"Oh! Trev, this is Jughead Jones – Archie's friend from France. Jug, this is Trevor Brown – we used to go to Riverdale High together."

"Nice to meet you," Jughead said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise. Also, Archie went to France?"

"Yeah, and you won't believe it – _Cheryl_ got him the trip. People say it was an enormous ploy to get him to stay with the company."

"Really? Cheryl? Wow, I guess some people just don't change. So, is everyone from school still in this town?"

"No, not everyone. Josie managed to get out – last I heard she was touring with the Pussycats. Cheryl only returned to town a few months ago – her mom still lives elsewhere. Veronica's parents moved out too. But she's still here. And I heard you left to go to… Amsterdam?"

"Yup. Started my own restaurant there."

"Food? Really? I never knew," she said and Trevor nodded.

"Yeah. So I'm only in town for a few days."

"Oh," Betty said, Jughead noticing that her tone was tinged with disappointment.

"Betts?" Jughead asked, and she turned around to face him, once again seeming surprised that he was here. He motioned towards the groceries and she nodded before turning back to face. "I need to..."

"Yeah, no, yeah! Okay, how about I give you my number and we can, I don't know, hang out? I mean, since I'm only here for the next four days I'd much rather hang out with a friendly face. God knows how hard that is to find in this town," he said and, after a skipping a beat, Betty laughed. Jughead frowned again – he was going to have to ask Betty about this apparently godforsaken town sometime.

"Yeah, that would be great," Betty said, grinning and handing her phone to him. He put in his number and then gave the phone back.

"Okay, I gotta run and you need to pay, so I'll text you?"

Betty nodded and Trev disappeared, leaving behind a smiling Betty and a slightly disoriented Jughead. He had to mull over the events that had just transpired a few times before he could begin understanding the dynamics.

* * *

The window opened just as Betty's phone began to ring. She glanced over at Jughead, who was climbing in, and raised one finger, asking him to wait before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Betty. It's Trev – I was just just making sure that we were still on for tonight?"

"Absolutely. It's a date!" Betty regretted the words as soon as she said them. She didn't even have to look at Jughead to know he was giving her an amused smile. "I mean, yeah. I'll see you there," she said, trying to save the situation and wanting to smack herself for creating it in the first place. She heard Trev laugh on the other end – thankfully – and then cut the call. Turning back to Jughead, she was surprised to see him frowning.

"What's up?" She asked, hoping to blow past this.

"So… you're going on a date with Trev?" He inquired, even though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"It's not a _date_ date," she attempted defending herself but at the same time she was thinking about how they were going to a fancy restaurant for dinner.

"You just called it a date. You literally said 'it's a date'," Jughead quoted and Betty sighed.

"It's just two friends catching up after a while. Now, what's up?" She said, quickly changing the topic.

"Oh I just came to get our groceries."

 _"Um, Betts?" Archie asked, after going through the grocery bag for the millionth time. Betty looked up innocently – she was still dividing the groceries between herself, and Kevin and Veronica. "Where's my yogurt?"_

 _Betty noticed Veronica and Kevin share a look before they went back to sorting through groceries – the chatter that usually accompanied this activity now gone._

 _"Fuck, Archie! I can't believe I forgot! Ugh, I thought I had just taken extra money by accident so I bought the carrots with that. I'm so sorry," she said, a similar level of insincerity colouring her tone and she heard Kevin bark a laugh, which he tried in vain to cover up as a cough. Archie, on the other hand, seemed at a loss for words._

"I already gave your share to Archie," Betty replied and Jughead looked confused. She waited for realisation to dawn on him, and before he could say anything, she said, "No I didn't get any yogurt."

Jughead nodded mutely and exited the same way he had come in. Betty was about to turn away from the window when she heard knocking. Turning around, she saw Jughead back at the window and quickly unlocked and opened it.

"What's up?"

"Good luck on your date. I hope you have fun," he said and Betty rolled her eyes, unable to hold back the smile on her face.

"It's not a date but thanks."

"Okay, have fun on your non-date," he said with a boyish smile and Betty, to make a point, simply shut the window and walking away.

"That's rude, Elizabeth!" She heard him shout and turned around, pointing to her ears and shaking her head. He rolled his eyes and trudged down the steps in a kind of awkward waddle since he was crouching down to maintain eye contact with her at all times. Betty watched him with an amused smile until he was out of sight. Shaking her head and chuckling to herself, she went into her bedroom to figure out what to wear.

"My, my, Betty Cooper, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," was what Jughead said when Betty stepped out of the main door downstairs, only to see Jughead there with a cigarette.

"Why thank you, Jughead Jones," she said, a light blush colouring her cheeks in spite of herself. "Archie doesn't let you smoke in the flat?"

"No, Archie doesn't know I smoke. He also went on a semi-rant about smoking so I figured it was safer not to smoke around him," Jughead said, shrugging. Betty nodded, pulling out her phone to check where the cab was.

"So, you excited?" He asked, and Betty rolled her eyes.

"Not as excited as I was when I heard your next book was coming out in a year," she said, giving him a sly smile. Instantly his eyes widened in shock and evident fear. Whipping out his phone, he frantically opened Twitter and Betty could see him looking at Forsythia Jones' profile.

 _She's blonde and knows how to solve crimes. Coming out in November 2018 – Save The Last Date! Stay tuned for updates!_

"Jellybean, what the _fuck_!" Jughead exclaimed, instantly calling her while Betty watched with an amused smile on her face. Just as Jellybean picked up, Betty's cab arrived.

"Oh fuck," she heard Jughead said again before he asked his sister – and manager as it were – to hold, "no, this is important Jellybean! Have fun on your non-date, Betty! No I don't like her. Oh, shut up. Now, what do you mean..." Betty watched him animatedly speak to his sister while she went off on her date.

 _Non-date._ She reminded herself.

The non-date itself was perfectly pleasant. She was adequately dressed for the restaurant – although she spent a while ranting to Trev about why formality standards were just another unnecessary social restriction – and Trev was a perfect gentleman, just like he had been in high school. In fact, if it were possible, he was even more of a gentleman now than then. Yet, Betty's mind kept going back to Jughead stopping mid-conversation with his sister to tell her to have a good date. It was such a small detail and yet, only Kevin ever wished her well when she left. And, considering that he didn't know she was going on this date – Jughead was the only one who did know – it was a gesture Betty appreciated more than she could show.

Maybe it was weird that something as small as this meant so much to her.

"Betty?" Trev asked, bringing her back to the present: in the car, going back home.

"Sorry, yeah?"

"We've reached," he said, smiling at her with amusement.

"Oh… right," she glanced at the door and was about to open it when she turned back to him and said, "Um, Trev, this is going to sound really stupid but… this wasn't a date, was it?"

"What? No. I mean, unless you wanted it to be?" He said, evidently unsure about this situation. Betty, however, only heard "no" and sighed with relief.

"No. I mean, I'm just not in a good place to start dating right now. I just – I got out of a kinda long relationship and-"

"Wait, you and Andrews finally went out?" He asked and Betty felt like she had been stabbed.

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Betty, everyone knew what the… situation was with you and Archie, you know. And when Veronica was thrown into the mix, people starting placing bets on who Archie would go out with first. It was pretty creepy," he said and Betty sighed with relief, not knowing what she would have done had he admitted to being part of this gamble.

"Well I hope someone won because it's been awhile since high school and Archie hasn't dated either of us," she said and Trev chuckled.

"If you ask me, even though I never gambled, my money was always on you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean you guys have been friends forever. It kinda seemed like the natural progression of events. But then I saw you in the grocery store with Jughead and I guess you and Archie aren't really meant to be after all. Speaking of, Jughead must be really secure in your relationship to be okay with you coming to dinner with-"

"Wait, wait, wait, what?" Betty stopped him as everything he said sunk in. "Trev, I'm not dating Jughead. We are not together. Seriously. I mean, I don't even _know_ him."

"Didn't you say he's been here for like, what? Two months now?"

"One and a half months. It's not nearly long enough," she said, rolling her eyes. Trev, although seeming unconvinced, nodded. Betty sighed and opened the door, about to get out.

"Wait, Betty, you know the Halloween thing that's happening?"

"The fair? Yeah – Veronica's on the organizing committee."

"Great. Well, since you and Jughead aren't together, I was wondering – do you want to go for it?" He asked and this time Betty didn't have to wonder about whether or not it was a date. This was definitely not a non-date.

She hesitated, debating what the best way to let him down would be. He seemed to sense her indecision and said, "It doesn't have to be a date, okay? We won't wear like couple's costumes or anything. I mean, it's my last night here so it would be nice to have a friend to go to the fair with."

"A friend," Betty clarified, slowly.

"Completely platonic," he agreed and she felt her will weakening. Sighing, she gave in and nodded.

"I'll see you near the Mirror Tent."

"Don't you mean House of Mirrors?"

"There's like one mirror. Veronica's not very good at organizing, apparently," she said, with a laugh. Trev chuckled at this and nodded.

"The Mirror Tent. I'll see you there at eight?"

"Yup. Goodnight, Trev," she said and he grinned.

"Goodnight, Betty."

She shut the door and went upstairs. It's okay, Betty, it's not a date.

"So, how was the non-date?"

Betty jumped, hearing Jughead's voice as she passed Archie's flat on her way up. Jughead was leaning against his door and she frowned.

"Were you just loitering around, waiting for me to come back so you could ask me this?"

"What? No – I was taking out the trash," he said, nudging the trash bag at his feet in indication. Betty's eyes widened with recognition and she nodded.

"It went very well, thank you," she replied.

"I knew my blessing would work," he said, with a smug grin.

"You seem in a good mood considering that you need to put out a book in presumably the next nine months," she said, raising an eyebrow at him and managing to wipe the grin off his face. Sighing, he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah, so Jellybean's account was hacked by some fan who posted that. So when I called her was when she found out about the hacking. It was actually a very confusing scenario where I found out from you and then she found out from me. Anyway, that said, there's no new book coming out next year. Although I should probably get back to writing. Not that you care," he explained.

"Actually, I find the writing processes of authors fascinating."

"Even when it's almost midnight?"

" _Especially_ when it's almost midnight. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you about writing sometime."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Just tell me when. Maybe we can have our own non-date," he said with a wink and Betty rolled her eyes, smiling in spite of herself.

"That would be brilliant. Anyway, I'm heading to bed now, I'll see you later, Jones," she said, continuing her climb up to her flat. She was only five steps up when she remembered that she had wanted to ask the group something. Well, even if it was only Jughead, it was better than there being no one. Running back down, she caught a glimpse of the black trash bag being taken downstairs.

"Jughead!" She called out, and he turned around, looking at her curiously. "Halloween. You coming?"

"You think Veronica would allow me to sit it out?" He responded and she laughed.

"Good point. I was just making sure you'd be attending your first ever Riverdale Halloween," she said, and he laughed.

"Worry not. I fully intend to grace the event with my presence. Although, it would, in my opinion, be better graced by my absence," he said and Betty laughed. His occasional faux Victorian manner of speaking often made his statements much funnier than they would be if Archie had said something. He managed to say it without sounding pretentious. In fact, although Betty would probably never say it to his face, in her opinion, Jughead's humility was his most attractive feature. After all, with being a bestselling author and everything, he could have easily been a big-headed, self entitled piece of shit. And yet, he was always Jughead before he was an author.

 _Okay Elizabeth, time to go to bed and stop thinking about Jughead's personality. You don't even know him, remember?_

"Well, I strongly believe you're going to prove yourself wrong when you show up. And, on that positive note, I'm going to bed," she said, and he gave a laugh, nodding and turning to continue going down the stairs. Betty waited for him to disappear around the curve of the staircase before she retired to her flat above, a smile playing along her lips throughout.


	6. Chapter 6

**Yes, this is a Halloween chapter A MONTH after Halloween. Oh well. It's very cliche'd if that's any consolation :p double line break means a change in POV.**

* * *

Halloween rolled around, which meant Kevin's boyfriend came back for the holiday. Kevin, of course, was beyond excited to have Seth back, but this also meant that Veronica could no longer stand being in the flat with the two spending all their time together. As a result, Veronica spent the night preceding the Halloween fair at Betty's. However, while Betty believed that she had only signed up to have Veronica there, it felt like the entire town was there. The situation was only made worse when there was knocking on the door and Betty opened it to find her mother on the other side.

She wished her face hadn't betrayed the shock she felt.

"Betty!" Alice exclaimed, smiling at her. Betty could tell that the smile was the rehearsed one that she used around Betty's grandmother.

"Mom, um, what are you doing here?"

"What? I need an excuse to come visit the only daughter I have?"

"Polly's alive, Mom," she said, with a sigh.

"How do you know? Have you heard from her?"

"What? No. It's just a… sister thing, I guess," Betty lied quickly.

 _It was 3am when her phone woke her up. Betty groaned and rolled over, picking it up and squinting at the screen – an unknown number flashed on her screen. Reluctantly, she picked up and croaked out, "Hello?"_

 _"Betty?"_

 _In a second, Betty was sitting upright, fully awake._

 _"Polly?!" She exclaimed, in disbelief, hoping she wasn't dreaming._

 _"Oh thank god. I thought – wait, why aren't you asleep? Don't you have work tomorrow?" She said, and Betty felt like laughing at her concern._

 _"It's okay. I was awake anyway doing… stuff," she lied and heard Polly giggle on the other end._

 _"Okay good, I was worried I had woken you up or something."_

 _"It is so good to hear your voice, Polly," Betty said and there was silence for a few moments. "Polly?"_

 _"I miss you, too. And I miss Riverdale – wow, there's a sentence I never thought I'd say," she said trying to lighten the mood, but Betty could tell she was choked up._

 _"So why don't you come home? You don't need to stay with mom and dad. You could stay with me. You and the twins. How are they?"_

 _"They're fine. They're beautiful darlings, now that they've stopped crying all the time and can talk. About coming home – I can't do that, Betty. I wish I could but I just – I can't. And – yeah I'm coming! – don't tell mom about this, okay. I love you and I have to go. Bye!"_

 _"Love you too, Pol," Betty said quickly but the line was already dead._

Alice's shoulders sagged with evident disappointment, but she managed to conjure the faux smile again and said, "Well, Veronica called and said she wanted help with the Halloween thing so I came right away."

"There it is," Betty muttered under her breath. She hadn't properly spoken to her mother since leaving the newspaper. Luckily, Alice didn't hear this, and Veronica appeared to diffuse the situation.

"Mrs. Cooper! Thank you so much for coming! It's been crazy here. Listen, I need you to…" she led Alice away, leaving Betty to shut the door. Betty walked back into the flat – it was covered in chart paper and fake spiderwebs and everything was a mess. Betty's hands itched to clean up somewhere but the last time she had tried to move anything, Veronica had screamed at her. So, Betty used her escape and disappeared onto the fire escape, climbing down a few steps and leaning against the wall between hers and Archie's flat, taking deep breaths of the cool air.

"Hey," she heard someone say and looked down – Jughead Jones.

"Hi," she replied, and he grinned at her. She wasn't sure when it had started, but his smile was finally reaching his ears – it was finally convincing.

"How come you're out here?"

"Veronica's planning inside… and my mom's there. Also, this is kinda my favourite place to be. How come you're out here?"

"Archie gets cold easily, so there's no ventilation inside. I needed some fresh air. But also, this is kinda my favourite place to be, too," he said, smiling. Betty nodded and they stayed in silence. It was a nice feeling – not being alone out here. Although the solitude was usually what Betty seeked when she came out here, she had found the need for that lessening when Veronica moved out. It was an odd nostalgia now that drew her to the fire escape.

"So, are you going with anyone?" Jughead asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. He didn't need to specify for Betty to know who he was referring to.

"No, I'm not going with Trev."

"Hey, I didn't say it."

"Very funny. I mean, he's coming. But we're not going _together_ or something. There's seriously nothing happening there – we're just friends."

"Then why did he ask you out?"

"He didn't ask me out. He proposed a plan of going to the Halloween shindig that Veronica's organising and since he's only here 'til the end of the Halloween, I said okay."

" _Kinda_ sounds like asking out to me, I'm just saying," Jughead said and Betty rolled her eyes.

"Well what it sounds like is irrelevant, isn't it? Are you going with anyone?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

* * *

"Are you going with anyone?" She asked. It was an innocent question, sure, but that didn't mean it didn't bring back memories.

Jughead pushed through the crowd, searching for his manager. Well, tonight, she was his sister and he was just being a responsible older brother. He could see the tips of her cat ears swaying across the club (Seriously, Jellybean, a club ?) and approached them.

 _"Juggie! Guys, look! This is my brother – the famous writer, FP Jones the Third!" Jellybean announced, throwing an arm around Jughead to steady herself._

 _"Jesus, you reek. How much did you drink?"_

 _"Just a little. Speaking of, why aren't you in a costume?"_

 _"You know I don't do Halloween."_

 _"And yet you're here."_

 _"Yeah, to get you. I need my manager tomorrow morning and I'd prefer it if she wasn't hungover."_

 _"God you're such a buzzkill. Okay, how about we compromise – you get a drink and I promise I'll come home," she said and he sighed: Jellybean reverted to a sixteen year old when she was drunk. But he knew if he argued he was just delaying the inevitable._

 _"One drink," he clarified and she nodded. His agreement to this excited her more than it probably should have, because he found himself being dragged to the bar._

 _"Excuse me! One vodka sprite, and one – beer, you sure? Okay fine – beer," she told the bartender._

 _"Coming up," the bartender replied and was about to turn away when Jughead said, "Excuse me, how much would I have to pay to turn that vodka sprite into a glass of water?"_

 _"Coming right up," she said with a laugh. Jughead could have sworn he had just heard fireworks. When she returned, her hair was tied into a bright pink bun and she handed Jellybean the glass of water._

 _"Thank you," Jughead said and she smiled._

 _"No problem. I know what a pain drunk friends can be."_

 _"You're American."_

 _"And you're observant. Yeah, I moved here recently."_

 _"Me too, actually," he said and, on an impulse, extending his hand over the bar, he said, "I'm Jughead Jones." She glanced at it and then back at him for a moment before shaking it._

 _"Toni Topaz."_

"Like I said, lone wolf," he said, smiling at Betty. He saw her brow furrow for a moment before she nodded, looking straight ahead again.

"So, who are you going as?" He asked, trying to change the mood to something less cryptic. Betty gave a surprisingly coy smile when he asked and said, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would, actually," he replied, smiling with amusement at how she figured it was her turn to be cryptic.

"It's a surprise, Jones. Who are you going as?"

"Oh, I don't do Halloween."

"What do you mean you don't _do_ Halloween?" She asked, frowning again, as if in disbelief that someone could actually not want to celebrate the holiday.

"I never enjoyed the whole dressing up thing. It's always been kinda… silly, I guess?"

"Wow, spoken like a true buzzkill," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, what? Did someone call me a buzzkill?" He asked, already hearing Archie's voice when Jughead had dropped out of all the nights Archie had proposed going to the bar and getting wasted ( "It'll be fun, Juggie! I promise!" - it wasn't fun).

"… No," Betty replied, after an uncomfortably large pause. Jughead raised an eyebrow at her inquisitorially and she averted her gaze. "I mean, maybe Archie mentioned it once or something but he wasn't serious… I think."

"Archie called me a buzzkill?" He clarified and she pressed her lips together, but gave a small nod in response. Jughead shot a glare in the direction of the apartment, a new resolve forming. He knew he was a buzzkill – his entire reputation was built on it – but he was the only one actually allowed to say it.

"You okay?" Betty asked, prompting him to look at her. He saw her smile in amusement at the new resolve he had formed.

"Yup. Never been better, actually. Remember how I said I don't do Halloween? So that was completely bullshit. I'm going to win best costume at the costume contest."

"That's great! Except, I don't think there is a costume contest," Betty said and, as if on cue, the window beside her opened, Veronica's head sticking out.

"Wait, you guys want a costume contest?" She asked.

"No, Ronnie, we-"

"Well you're in luck! There's going to be a costume contest! And you guys had better enter. Jughead, you're going to love Betty's costume idea! It's so nerdy – right up your alley."

"Wow, thanks Veronica," Betty said, rolling her eyes at her best friend. Jughead, on the other hand, saw this as an opportunity to gain hints about her costume.

"Is that so? Who are you going as, Betts? Oh my god, is it someone from Harry Potter?"

"No, she went as Luna last year," Veronica answered, already getting into this game.

"Someone from Middle Earth then?"

"What the fuck is Middle Earth?" Veronica asked and the look of disbelief Jughead shot her could only be contested by the one Betty shot her.

"Middle Earth, V. You know, Lord of the Rings?"

"Oh yeah, no. Hers is more… obscure nerdy. Think Halloween but combined with-"

"Okay! That's enough from you. Did you want something, Veronica?" Betty asked, covering up her strategic interruption with laughter.

"Oh, yeah, your mom had some questions about your room."

"You let her into my room? Veronica Lodge, you are a dead woman," Betty asked and Veronica, after giving Betty the widest and guiltiest grin Jughead had ever seen, disappeared back into the flat. Jughead chuckled while Betty glowered at the now-vacant window frame.

"I should go. I have a mother to deal with," Betty said and Jughead nodded, chuckling.

"Yeah I should go too," he agreed. Both were in the frames, about to climb in, when Betty looked up and stopped Jughead.

"Wait, you never told me what your costume was going to be," she said, looking at him inquiringly. His lips morphed into a sly smile and he shrugged.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He threw her own words back at her and she narrowed her eyes at him momentarily before giving a laugh and climbing back into her own flat.

* * *

Betty finished putting on the last of her stitches on her greyish arms and stood up once, turning in front of the mirror to make sure she hadn't missed any spots. She had been planning on this costume for ages now. And now that the time had come to execute it, she needed everything to be perfect. After looking at herself for the third time, she was satisfied with the outcome. Just as she was straightening her red wig, the doorbell rang. She opened the door, holding her pumpkin basket with candy in it, to find Veronica on the other side. True to her word, her best friend was going as Aphrodite. This simply meant Veronica had a white gown and extensions on for the night. That didn't mean she didn't look gorgeous – but again, that was how she always looked.

"You look amazing, Ronnie," Betty said, smiling at her in open admiration. Veronica grinned and twirled once – her gown flaring.

"Thank you! You look great too… even though I'm not sure who you're going as. No, wait, I can tell you – wait, I remember… it's-"

"Hey guys," Kevin appeared with Seth, interrupting Veronica's guess. They were evidently salt and pepper.

"Out of _all_ the couples costumes that exist in the world, you guys just had to go for the most cliché one, huh?" Betty asked, looking at them in amusement.

"Yes well, at least we didn't go as… uh…" Kevin trailed off, trying to guess who Betty was going as. Betty rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, about to tell them, when Veronica's phone rang, preventing that. The call turned out to be Alice, wondering if Veronica was ever going to show up to actually take care of the fair. This meant that between Veronica's freak out at being late and Kevin telling her it was okay, what Betty's costume was didn't matter anymore.

Within ten minutes, all four of them were in a cab – Betty in front while the other three were in the back. Veronica was on the phone the entire time, shouting out commands to nobody knew who while they approached the fair. Even from a distance, the fair was already a spectacle. Despite the sad Mirror Tent right at the entrance, the fair failed to disappoint. How they had secured a literal ferris wheel for it, Betty would never understand. Betty could see her mom from a distance and said, "Okay, so I'm just going to hang out by the Mirror Tent and wait for Trev. You guys go ahead."

"Alright. Also, Betty?" Ronnie said as Kevin and Seth disappeared in the direction of the giant wheel.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, but if you call it the Mirror Tent again, I'm going to have to kill you," she said with a gigantic smile and Betty smiled back nervously, in apology. Once Veronica was out of sight, she went behind the tent, occasionally peeking out to see if Alice was still within her light of sight.

"Betty?" She heard Archie's voice and turned around, seeing him approach. He was wearing green body paint and a pair of purple shorts with his abs on display for everyone to see. She sucked in a breath, trying not to stare.

"Arch! Hey. Um… aren't you… cold?"

"Hulk doesn't get cold," he said in a deeper voice and Betty laughed, for a moment reverting to a time when Jughead hadn't told her anything. "Who are you supposed to be?"

 _And we're back to the present._

"Are you serious? I'm Sally!" She exclaimed, throwing out her arms to let him see the whole costume.

"Sally! Of course! Um, refresh my memory… Sally's from…?"

"Nightmare before Christmas? You know? The movie I've asked you to watch multiple times and said that it's my all time favourite Christmas _and_ Halloween movie?" Betty said and Archie nodded, clearly pretending to remember. She sighed, looking away, only to see Trev in the distance walking towards them. The closer he got, the more Betty could make out that he was coloured green too. Except he was wearing a t-shirt and purple shorts.

"Hey, Betty! Um, when you said near the Mirror Tent, I assumed you meant in front of it," he said with a grin and Betty laughed.

"Wait… Trev?" Archie asked, narrowing his eyes at him. Betty wondered how they hadn't met until now.

"Andrews! Hey, long time," he said, smiling and nodding at Archie.

"Wow um, I didn't realise you two were…" Archie said, glancing back at Betty with raised eyebrows. Her eyes widened, realising what he was insinuating and, quickly shaking her head, said, "Oh no, we're not – I mean, it's not like that. Trev was just in town and we met while he was buying groceries. He's going back to London tomorrow."

"London. Wow. Great going, Frankenstein," Archie said, nodding at him. Betty didn't know how to tell Archie that Trev was clearly dressed as the Hulk too – just a Hulk that had the sense to wear a t-shirt in October.

"Actually… I'm the Hulk, too," Trev said, glancing Archie up and down once. Betty almost needed to raise a hand to hide her smile.

"Yeah right. What kind of Hulk wears a t-shirt?"

"Arch, come on, it's October," Betty said, fighting the smile really hard. Archie, on the other hand, couldn't seem to believe that Betty wasn't on his side.

"Oh you're that doll from that movie, right?" Trev asked, now shifting attention to Betty's costume.

"Close enough," Betty said, with a resigned sigh. "Hey, here's a thought – do you want to go on the ferris wheel?"

"Yeah, sure!" Trev said.

"Um, before you do that. Betty? A word?" Archie asked and Betty nodded, asking Trev to go ahead and stand in line. Once he was gone, she turned to Archie and raised her eyebrows at him. "Have I done something to upset you or something?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well I mean, first the ice cream, now… this," he said, giving a look in the general direction of Trev. Betty frowned.

"Archie, I'm not upset with you. I just really like ice cream. And, as for Trev, I know you're trying to be in character, and I respect that, but seriously? It's October – you're going to catch hypothermia," she said matter-of-factly. Archie eyed her for a moment before nodding, although she could tell he didn't really believe her. "Oh, by the way, where's Jughead?"

"We came together but he saw some stall selling candy and disappeared. That man is a _huge_ foodie," Archie said and Betty chuckled, nodding.

"What's his costume?"

"Oh I think you're going to want to see it, Sylvia," he said and Betty sighed again – Archie was really bad with names apparently. They walked out from behind the tent and Veronica appeared out of nowhere. Except now she came with a headset apparently.

"Wow, Archiekins. You sure it's safe to walk around half naked in this weather?" She said, cocking her head to one side with a smile. Archie rolled his eyes and said, "You asked for it, Ronnie."

"I don't regret it. I just hope you don't either," she said, eyeing his abs.

"Get a room!" Betty heard someone say behind her and turned around to find a beanie-wearing Jack Skellington approach them. Her eyes widened when she saw what Jughead had chosen as his costume. It was evident that he put in a lot of work.

"Oh how I wish," Veronica said with a laugh. The laugh, however, left Betty unconvinced. Especially since Veronica's tone wasn't as light as it perhaps should have been. Jughead reached them and, with an amused smile at her, said, "Hey, Sally."

"Hey, Jack," she replied with equal amusement.

"Wait, you guys are characters from the same movie?" Veronica asked and Betty could see her eyes sparking with excitement. This was her cue to be worried about what plans Veronica was now cooking up. Jughead, in his oblivious nature, nodded, and Betty sighed when she saw the grin slowly appear on Veronica's face.

"You guys should 100 percent run as a pair for the costume contest! I mean, Jughead, I know you were planning to run anyway, but if you can convince Betty to run with you, I will be eternally grateful and – no! That's not what… I don't give a," she shouted into the mouthpiece before mouthing an apology to them and leaving the three of them standing together.

"So, Arch, the Hulk, huh? Isn't it a little cold to be as shirtless as you are?" Jughead asked and Archie rolled his eyes while Betty fought a smile yet again.

"Well, would you look at what the tide brought in," a voice came from behind Archie and he shifted, allowing Betty to see who was speaking: Cheryl Blossom. Cheryl was wearing a police outfit although it displayed more than it covered. "Hey, Musketeers. Where's Veronica?"

"She's-"

"Oh my god, Archibald. You couldn't have chosen a better costume," Cheryl said, looking everywhere but his face.

"Thank you! Finally – someone who appreciates this," he said, indicating to his green body.

"Join me on the ferris wheel? I mean, after all, I'm the one who got it built," Cheryl said, sticking her arm out for Archie to take. Although it should have come as no surprise to Betty, she was still mildly shocked when Archie took Cheryl's arm, after giving her a pointed look.

"Wow what was that about?" Jughead asked, once the pair were out of earshot.

"What are you talking about?"

"The look Archie just gave you. Did you do something to him? You didn't tell him that he gained vacation weight in France, did you?"

"Jug, that was _months_ ago, why would I… and he never gained any weight anyway. No, he's just upset that I like ice cream enough to be mad about it."

Now it was Jughead's turn to give her a pointed look. Uncomfortably shuffling, Betty glanced at the ground and muttered, "Also, he may be a little jealous about Trev."

"Wait, what? Archie Andrews? The man who just walked off with Cheryl Blossom? He's jealous? Because you're on a date with someone?" Jughead said, his tone shifting from disbelief to appreciation as the questions continued. Betty couldn't help smiling at this and nodded. "Huh. Go, Betty Cooper, then. The wind really has changed."

"Betty!" She heard someone shout in the distance before she could respond and looked up to see Trev waving from his spot in the queue.

"I need to go. But we'll meet up for the contest?"

"Wait, you're in?"

"Why not? It'll be fun, right? Besides, how could I not enter a contest with someone who claims they don't 'do' Halloween only to put on actual stitches to emulate Jack Skellington. How did you decide on the costume anyway?"

"Well, Nightmare Before Christmas is kinda my favourite Halloween and Christmas movie so it seemed like an obvious choice," he said, with a smile. Betty stared at him for a few moments before smiling too and taking off across the ground, towards Trev.

* * *

Jughead had always considered Riverdale a small town… until this fair. Seeing the number of people packed into one ground, mostly huddling together for warmth (with a few idiots like Archie Andrews running around bare-chested) but still enjoying themselves made Jughead feel something for this dreadful holiday that he hadn't felt in a while. He was thrown back to the first Halloween they had shared in France after the one they had met at. She had gotten so drunk, she had actually kissed him. He even told her for the first time that night that he loved her. The softness of the moment was ruined when she proceeded to throw up all over the Elvis costume she had forced him into.

In the morning, all was forgotten and it was like that night had never happened.

Halloween had never been a particularly good time for Jughead. He had enjoyed it since he got to put on a costume – an addition to the mask his beanie provided – but other than that, he thought the entire ordeal was somewhat silly.

And then Betty Cooper called him a buzzkill.

Suddenly the holiday seemed like something to be done.

 _"I thought you didn't do Halloween," Archie said, as Jughead practiced drawing on the mouth with a marker._

 _"That was before someone called me a buzzkill," Jughead said, trying hard to keep the lines straight with a moving mouth._

 _"Who did?"_

 _"Betty."_

 _"Since when do you care what Betty thinks?"_

 _"Doesn't matter. Point is, I'm going to that fair and I'm going in costume."_

 _"Wow. Jughead Jones. Worked up over a girl. Again," Archie said, chuckling and leaning against the door frame._

 _"Did you need something, Archiekins?" Jughead asked, getting a little annoyed. Archie raised his hands in surrender and backed off, away from the door, shaking his head. Jughead sighed and went back to ensuring straight lines._

He hadn't really thought about what Archie had said, dismissing it as roommate banter. But now, seeing her run towards the ferris wheel in Sally's costume, suddenly things were different. He didn't know how they were different but they just were. It may have had something to do with Betty being the first and only person to actually _get_ his costume.

"Jughead!" He heard someone call and looked up to see Betty waving him over. She was standing at the front of the line, clearly flustered. Breaking into an awkwardly fast jog, he crossed the ground to where she was. "Do you want to come on the ferris wheel with me?"

She asked as he approached.

"What?"

"The ferris wheel. You wanna go? Trev had some important phone call to take and I really want to see the top but I can't stand in the queue again," she explained.

"Um, why don't you ask Archie or Veronica. I don't think it would be the best idea for me to…"

"Ronnie's busy with organising and Archie's already up there somewhere with Cheryl. Listen, if you would rather not-"

"No! No, it's okay. Yeah, sure, I'll come," he said, going against better judgement and going through the little gate with her as the wheel stopped to let them on. They climbed into the seat and Jughead held onto the bar that was pulled down in front of them as they began moving upwards. The higher they climbed, the tighter he held on and the whiter his knuckles got. Betty, clearly not noticing, was looking at the view as they went higher until they finally stopped at the top.

"Wow," she breathed, clearly unaware that Jughead looking at the ground and nowhere else.

"Jughead, you need to see this."

"It's beautiful, I'm sure."

"Come on! We only get a minute up here and you can see the whole town from up here," she said, finally turning. Jughead could feel his cheeks heating up when she turned to look at him. "Wait, Jughead, are you… scared of heights?"

"No," he lied, giving a shuddering breath. The next thing he saw was a bluish hand appear on his. Her hand was cool and her touch suddenly made him realise how tight he was holding onto the bar. His grip relaxed and, with that, some colour returned to his knuckles.

"Hey, it's okay, we're not going to fall. This is brand new. And Cheryl got it built which means it's definitely sturdy."

"If you say so," he said, still not looking up.

"Jughead, look at me. Don't look down, just look at me," she said and, after a heated internal debate, he slowly raised his head to look at her. She was smiling softly in encouragement. "Good. That wasn't really scary, was it?"

"No. But also, you don't need to talk to me like I'm a five year old, Betty," he said, although his voice quavered a little. Betty's smile widened.

"Why don't you tell me a story until we reach the bottom," she said and, after his second internal debate, Jughead nodded.

"What do you want to know?"

"How about why you don't do Halloween?" She asked and the seat moved as they began their descent. Jughead's instinct was to look down but, before he could, he felt Betty squeeze his hand and his attention was pulled back to her face. "Just keep looking at me, okay?" He swallowed hard and nodded.

"So… why I don't do Halloween. Growing up, I always liked Halloween. Until I realised that my Halloween costume was being any other kid instead of being a fictional character or something. My family, well, it wasn't the most functional. My mum left when I was young and took my sister – my agent, now – with her, leaving me with my dad. She occasionally came back to check on me, but the older I got, the further apart these visits were. So Halloween became an escape for me. While other people dressed up as cats and stuff, I would wear a t-shirt and jeans and order pizza, put on the TV and force my dad to stay in and watch with me. Once I grew up, I realised what a bullshit fantasy this was and," the seat swung again and instantly he clutched tighter, "I stopped celebrating it altogether. Haven't really celebrated it since."

"Really? Never?"

"Um… okay, so France was the longest I stayed in any place after I was successfully published. And, the first Halloween I had in France, I went looking for my sister at a party, which was where I met this other girl. She was, well, incredible."

"Sounds like you were in love," Betty commented and Jughead gave a shaky laugh.

"Yeah you could say that. We met on Halloween about our mutual distaste for the holiday and a year later, on Halloween, we were in costumes. And that was the first time I told her I loved her. Except, it was a ruined moment because she threw up on me right after that."

"Oh god!" Betty exclaimed and started laughing. Jughead gave a smile too, remembering how bizarre the situation had been. How he was convinced that she was going to throw up because of the confession.

"It was _awful_. Anyway, so she threw up on me and then I took her back to my sister's flat – with my sister, obviously – and let her sleep on the couch there. In the morning, she couldn't even remember how she had gotten there. We met up for lunch later that day and she was still nursing what she claimed to be the worst hangover she had ever had."

"Sounds like a real catch," she said and he smiled.

"She was. We dated for about three months, a year and a half after that. They were the best three months I've ever had. But then it kinda ended in a trainwreck. That's actually why I came to Riverdale – I wanted to leave the past behind and – fuck!" He exclaimed, his eyes instinctively shutting when the seat swung harder than it had previously.

"Juggie, it's okay – we've reached," Betty said and his eyes flew open as he looked over the edge – the ground was right there. Cool air replaced Betty's fingers when she removed them and he shakily got off the ride with Betty in tow. Trev reappeared, apologising profusely for taking a phone call and Betty easily forgave him while Jughead concentrated on steadying his fingers. Trev proposed winning Betty something at one of the stalls as compensation for ditching her and she readily agreed.

"You go on ahead, I'll be right there," she said, and Trev ran off. She then turned to Jughead and said, "You okay?"

"I will be, yeah. In a minute or so."

"Good," she said, smiling at him. Something about Betty's smile was incredibly contagious and, in spite of his jittery state, Jughead found himself smiling back at her.

"Hey, um, I know your relationship ended painfully but, if it's any consolation, I wouldn't have met you if that hadn't happened. And I can tell you, that would have _definitely_ been a bad thing. You're not nearly as unfun as you like to lead people to believe," she said and, for the first time in a while, Jughead felt a feeling of contentment. He realised that, even though he had spoken about France so much, not once had he lost sight of her being in front of him. Of her helping him through this. Hell, she had given up looking out of the seat to make sure he was okay – it had been awhile since someone had cared about him this way.

"Thank you, Betty," he said with more sincerity than he had believed he was capable of mustering. She stared at him for a few moments, probably judging how serious his sincerity was (judging the sincerity of sincerity was honestly something only Betty Cooper would do) before slowly smiling. It was a small smile and yet it was the most beautiful one he had seen her don yet.

"Anytime, Jughead," she replied, softly. Then Trev shouted her name from the stall, holding up the unicorn he had already successfully won.

For the second time that night, Jughead watched her run towards Trev. Only this time, he knew that things were _definitely_ different.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry about the late update! I moved houses and didn't have WiFi :( Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope you guys had an amazing holiday :') ~Line break means change in POV~**

* * *

 _Dear Mr. Jones,_

 _We are delighted…_

Jughead didn't bother reading any further, running into Archie's room instead, completely oblivious to the fact that it was half past seven on a Sunday. After all, he had been waiting for this for a week now. Ever since Jellybean had told him that getting a job to keep himself busy would be a good idea.

"Archie! Wake up! I got the job!" He exclaimed, and his red headed friend blearily opened his eyes, looking at Jughead through narrowed slits before turning over and going back to sleep. His parade had never had more rain on it. "Arch! Archie! Archibald!" Jughead called, shaking Archie awake, nearly throwing him off the bed in the process.

"What time is it?" Archie groaned.

"It's Jughead officially has a job time!" He replied, grinning at Archie. It took a few moments for Archie to absorb this information but when he did his eyes actually opened and he sat up too fast, the blanket falling off him.

"Jesus Christ, Archie! It's _November –_ how are you sleeping naked in this temperature!" Jughead said, immediately diverting his eyes. Archie didn't seem to actually notice his nudity until it was pointed out.

"Fuck!" Archie quickly pulled on a pair of boxers lying on the ground nearby, much to Jughead's relief.

"Hey, um, what's going on?" A voice came from the door and Jughead turned to find Betty standing there, hugging a cup of coffee (presumably) close to herself. Instantly his smile grew.

"I got a job!" He said, thrusting his phone in her face. She squinted to read it and, once she did, she grinned.

"Oh my god, Jug, this is amazing! Lord knows Pop could use the help," she said and he laughed.

"Wait, you're going to work at Pop's?" Archie asked and Jughead stared at him incredulously. At this point, he was convinced that goldfish had memory superior to Archie's.

"Archie, I _told_ you I was applying to be a chef there like a week ago," he said, slowly, knowing that speaking too fast would be too much for his roommate to process.

"You applied a week ago? Why didn't you tell me?" Betty asked, looking at him curiously. He looked at her nervously. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to tell her – he just hadn't had a hands on job that didn't involve a laptop in the longest time. He didn't want her to ridicule him or something. Also, he had only told Archie because, in addition to having goldfish-esque memory, Archie also excelled in having no sense of privacy and regularly walked into Jughead's room. One of these times, he caught him staring at one of the posters Pop had put up, asking for help.

" _Hey Jug, I'm ordering some pizza and – what's that?" Archie asked, his eyes falling on the flyer Jughead was holding. Jughead quickly folded it in half and looked up, trying to act like nothing was wrong._

" _Is that Pop's ad?" Archie's relentless questioning went on. Jughead merely nodded, not saying anything. Archie frowned. "Jughead, are you looking for a job?"_

" _So what if I am?"_

" _Nothing's wrong. It's just – I thought you had all this cash since you were a 'bestselling' author and everything," Archie said, shrugging and sitting down on Jughead's bed, opposite his chair._

" _Yeah well, I'm bored. Also, Jellybean's keeping an eye on my bank account since apparently I can't afford that lavish French lifestyle anymore."_

" _Lavish? Jug, you stayed in a one-bedroom flat,"Archie said and Jughead rolled his eyes._

" _Sarcasm, Archibald. Anyway, I'm thinking of applying to be a chef at Pop's."_

" _Well Pop loves you, so I'm sure you'll get the job. I mean, you've given him more business than the four of us combined," Archie said, and Jughead laughed._

" _As usual, your faith in me is unparalleled."_

" _I'm just saying, man. I think you'll get it."_

" _Thanks, Archie," Jughead said, now a little flustered. It was a weird feeling, suddenly being surrounded with people who had faith in his abilities. Just last week Betty had got a peek at his chapter and he had rarely seen someone so excited about something he had written. It was weird that his sister wasn't the only one excited about his work anymore._

" _So, pizza?" Archie asked, and Jughead nodded._

"I didn't tell anybody. Archie found out by accident too. I didn't want to tell anyone in case I didn't get it," he half-lied. The truth was, he had been somewhat awkward around Betty since Halloween since she was now one of the few people who knew as much as she did about him. She eyed him in disbelief but nodded regardless.

"Anyway, I'm glad you got it," she said with a smile.

"Wait, what are _you_ doing here? It's seven in the morning," Archie said, only now registering that Betty was here. Betty looked at him curiously before her expression shifted to amusement.

"I was out of coffee," she said, shrugging and taking a sip of the coffee.

"Aw, it's okay, Cooper. We all know it's because you missed me," Jughead said, before he

could stop himself. Betty's eyebrows rose and, after a beat, a smile slowly curved her lips.

"Careful, Jones. Your big head may not fit through the narrow diner door," she said, and Jughead nearly sighed with relief that the banter was reciprocated rather than questioned. He resorted to laughing, more out of relief than anything else.

"Is there still coffee?"

"There's a little, yeah," Betty replied.

"Great. Archie, you want some caffeine?" He turned to find Archie softly snoring in his bed again. He met Betty's eyes and shrugged, going out of the room to the kitchen for the coffee.

"You're in an oddly good mood," she commented as he poured himself the small amount of coffee still in the pot.

"Oddly? Doesn't a man have a right to be happy about getting a job?"

"Of course he does. Wait, why do you need a job? I mean, doesn't being an author pay well?"

"Sometimes. But it's also very boring when you have nothing to write about. Jellybean said I should keep myself busy so that's what I'm doing. Besides, Pop's burgers are amazing but they're nothing compared to the ones I make."

"Really?"

"Yep. I had to learn how to make them as a kid, and ever since then, my skills have only grown," he said, taking a seat on one side of the breakfast bar.

"I mean, I'd argue that everyone here thinks _I_ make the best burgers but you know, whatever," Betty said, looking away with a sly smile. Jughead's eyes widened at this – his burgers were the only thing apart from his writing that fell into the category "pride and joy".

"Tread carefully, Betty. You are walking on glass right now," he said and saw her smile widen.

"I stand by my statement. Ask anyone – my burgers knock even Pop's out of the park," she said with a casual yet calculated shrug.

"Miss Cooper, are you challenging me to a burger-off?" He asked, through narrowed eyes.

"Is it really a contest if someone's already won?" She asked and his mouth fell open at her audacity. She giggled and got up, making her way to the window to return to her flat. "You know," she turned at the window, just before climbing out, "I like this new funny, confident side of you. It's… refreshing."

"Are you implying that I bore you on a daily basis?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes, smiling.

"You said it, not me," she said and was about to climb back out the window.

"Betty," he said, and she looked back. "Next weekend. The burger-off."

"Sure. Prepare to lose spectacularly, Jughead Jones," she said, and he chuckled at her overt overconfidence.

"You just work on your burger, Betty Cooper," he said, and after flashing him a final grin, she climbed out of the window and went upstairs.

Jughead stood outside the diner, constantly glancing at his watch. It was five minutes to nine – when Pop had agreed to meet him and show him the working of the kitchen. The diner was already bustling with people, including his four friends, seated in a booth. It was probably the worst part about this whole ordeal – if he failed he now had witnesses.

Two minutes to nine.

With an exaggerated sigh, Jughead walked in, the bell overhead tinkling when the door opened. Pop looked up and Betty and Archie, who were sitting on one side of the booth, turned around. He locked eyes with Betty momentarily and she gave him an encouraging smile. He returned his own smile coloured with nerves, and made his way to the back.

"Ah, Jughead!" Pop said, smiling the second Jughead came into view. "Come, let me show you the kitchen."

"Thank you so much for this, Pop. I can't tell you how much this means to me," Jughead said, following him behind the counter and putting on the apron he was given.

"Oh please. If anything, you should be thanking Betty – she's the one who said I could use the extra help," Pop said and Jughead started, looking up at Betty curiously. "Lord knows she was right."

"Are we the only two chefs here?"

"Pretty much. There is one more but she never shows up," Pop said and Jughead nodded.

"Shouldn't you fire her then?"

"I did stop giving her a paycheck, but I haven't officially fired her."

"Whatever works, I guess," Jughead said, now eyeing the oven, the fryer, and the ice cream machine. "So when do I start work?"

"Tell you what – I'll close early today, so come back at around six thirty and I'll show you how everything works," Pop said and Jughead smiled, nodding. He already knew that he would like working here. "Good. Now, why don't you go join your friends and I'll bring over the usual?"

"So?" Archie asked as Jughead approached the table. "How does everything look?"

"Pretty great. Pop said he would show me how everything works in the evening. Just gave me a tour today," he replied, motioning for Archie and Betty to slide in so he could take a seat.

"I'm glad you like it, Jughead. I gotta rush, though – need to finish a report for Cheryl if I'm going to score that trip to London next month."

"Wait, next month? Archie, tell me you're going to be here for Christmas," Veronica said, frowning at him. Archie didn't meet her eye, guilt clouding his eyes.

"I'll be back in time for New Years?" He attempted to pacify her, unsuccessfully. If anything Veronica's apparent betrayal at these words increased.

"I can't believe you, Archie," she said, sliding out of the booth and stalking off. Archie glanced at Betty for support of any kind but she simply sighed, raising her eyebrows in a you-had-it-coming manner. Sliding out too, Archie ran after Veronica, who was already getting into the car. This emptied up the booth beside Kevin, where Jughead took a seat, with a smile of amusement playing along his lips.

"So, Jughead, Betty tells me you guys are planning to have a burger-off? Be warned, Betty's burgers are the best ones I've tasted in my entire life," Kevin said, clearly already betting on Betty. Betty flushed with embarrassed appreciation for this compliment but didn't say anything.

"Well, Kevin, you just think that because you haven't tried _mine,_ yet," Jughead said, smirking at Betty.

"Was that supposed to scare me?" Betty asked, in a faux inquisitorial tone.

"I mean, they _do_ say that the truth hurts," he shot back, and she gave him an impressed nod.

"Okay, guys, I'm loving the tension and sparks, but save something for the actual contest," Kevin said before Betty could respond.

"Luckily words aren't necessary to win," Jughead said, not ready to give up on the trash talk.

"Oh in that case, you'll _definitely_ lose," Betty said, and Jughead feigned disbelief, going so far as to drop his jaw a little.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was in the presence of a fellow bestseller," he said and Kevin audibly sighed.

"Okay, I'm not staying here for this. Anyway, Veronica needs me… probably. Hopefully. Betty, don't you have work to get to?"

"What's the – _oh fuck!_ " Betty exclaimed, glancing at her watch.

"What's wrong?" Jughead asked.

"I have a meeting in half an hour and Reggie will _kill_ me if I'm not there. Fuck, I can't get there in half an hour. Not in the morning traffic. I could call and cancel – maybe call in sick? No, he'd know I'm lying – I'm never sick. Fuck, _today_ of all days. Ugh."

"What's so special about today?" He inquired hesitantly. He was worried that Betty may explode.

"Today's his six month anniversary with Veronica."

" _Six months?_ I thought you said it was a fling."

"It is! I mean it's their six month anniversary since they first got together. If we're considering all the inbetween breakups, it's actually their two week anniversary or something," she clarified impatiently, pulling out some money and leaving it on the table as she headed out of the door. Jughead ran out after her and saw her speed walking towards her car. Out of instinct, he got on his bike and drove to where she had parked her car. Hearing the revving, she turned around and her eyebrows rose at this sight.

"Hop on," he said, a slight smirk playing along his lips. She gave him a look of disbelief.

"Without... a helmet?"

"You can use mine," he said, holding it out. When he realised this hadn't put her skepticism at ease, he said, "I mean, you _could_ take your car and brave the morning traffic. Or you could walk, which would probably be faster. Or you could-"

"Oh just give me that and drive," she said, quickly snatching the helmet out of his grip and putting it on. "Go a little slow."

"Oh, no, Betty. That would be _much_ more dangerous," he said. He could feel the tension radiating off her so he said, "You can hold onto me if you want." Instantly a pair of arms encircled him from behind and he felt her relax considerably before he began driving.

* * *

If someone had told Betty Cooper a few months ago that she would be seated on the backseat of a motorcycle, holding on for dear life as the man in front of her drove through the lesser known streets of Riverdale, in an attempt to get her to work on time, she would have laughed until she cried. Today, however, her eyes were filled with tears due to the wind stinging her face as Jughead flew through the streets. More than once he had to ask her to relax her grip a little because she wasn't allowing him to breathe. However, true to his word, he got her to the office with five minutes to spare before the meeting began. Getting off the motorcycle, she glanced at her watch and grinned to see she still had time.

"I made it."

"You're welcome," he sang and she laughed, looking at him.

"Thanks, Juggie," she said and he nodded in response, a smile playing along his lips. They stood in silence for a few moments as she waited for her heartbeat to slow down a little.

"Betts?"

"Yeah?"

"Your meeting?"

"Oh. Right. Okay, yeah. Thank you so much, Jughead. I don't know how I'd ever repay you," she said and a slightly sinister smile appeared.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," he said and she laughed in response.

"Anyway, I'll see you at home. Bye," she said, before running inside. She made her way to the third floor, where the meeting was being held, and, when the elevator doors opened, she found herself face-to-face with Cheryl, who was shaking hands with Reggie. They both turned to the elevator and Reggie smiled when he saw her.

Reggie never smiled at her.

"Betty! I was just about to call you and tell you that the meeting's been rescheduled to after lunch. Until then, I want you to spend the morning tending to Cheryl's needs, okay?"

"You make it sound like I'm incapable of doing anything myself, Reggie," Cheryl said, rolling her eyes at Reggie, who laughed at this.

"Well Betty's the best assistant I've ever had so she should keep you happy," he said and, although he probably meant it as a compliment, being called "the best assistant" meant she wasn't going to get a promotion any time soon.

"In that case, thank you for placing me in such capable hands," she said, giving Betty a smile. Betty gave a thin-lipped smile in return. Reggie nodded and stepped into the open elevator, to go down. Once the elevator was gone, Betty said, "What would you like to see first?"

"You know, I've heard great things about the record room," Cheryl replied and Betty frowned – there was nothing special about their record room.

" _Betty's the best assistant I've ever had so she should keep you happy,"_ Reggie's voice played in her mind and she internally sighed. _Record room it is._

"Absolutely," she replied, leading the way to the record room. It was a dingy room with shelves and discarded papers everywhere. Reggie liked to pretend it didn't exist. However, for years now, it had served as a place Betty went to hide when the work got too much for her. But it was the first time in a long time that someone other that her was stepping into the room. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket just as they entered and pulled it out, glancing at it as she held the door for Cheryl.

 _I've been thinking and you can buy me a burger meal at Pop's and we'll call it even. -J_

She couldn't help the smile curving her lips.

"Who is that?" Cheryl's voice made her snap up, looking at her curiously. Betty quickly put her phone away.

"No one. Is there an issue, in particular, that you're looking for?" She asked, quickly changing the subject. Age hadn't had any effect on the need for drama Cheryl Blossom had. This was evident when Cheryl narrowed her eyes at her for a moment before turning back to face the room.

"Do you have any issues from before the revival of the magazine?"

"Like… from the seventies?" Betty clarified, frowning. Cheryl turned around, a large smile made of sinister plastic on her face.

"Yes, precisely. Do you have them?"

"I think they were all destroyed in the fire in the nineties. This is a brand new office," she said and Cheryl's face fell.

"Yeah, I know. Oh well, a girl can hope."

"If there was a specific article you were looking for, I may be able to find it in the system. Anything that was salvaged from the fire was digitized the minute the perpetrator was caught," Betty said, watching Cheryl's eyes light up at this proposition.

"Oh, Betty, that's _brilliant!_ Yes, could you look up an article for me. Or can you pull up all the articles that were published a week before the fire?"

"I'm going to need exact dates for that, Cheryl."

"But you can do it?"

"I should be able to, yeah," Betty replied, leading the way out of the record room. Cheryl, basically bouncing with excitement, followed close behind.

"Betty Cooper, you are a _lifesaver,"_ she said, and Betty gave a tired smile in response. As they walked towards the elevator to go to the cubicles, Cheryl said, "Wait, where are we going?"

"We're going to see Casper – he knows how to pull up the system. There's some code that needs to be run which I never learnt because Reggie didn't care about the old issues," Betty replied, pressing the button and waiting for it to come up.

"Oh. What's the deal with Reggie anyway?" Cheryl asked and Betty looked at her, confused. "Is he _seeing_ someone?"

"What? I really shouldn't…"

"Oh come _on_ , Betty! Give me the tea. Who's Reggie seeing?" Cheryl asked, her eyes shining with excitement and curiosity. Betty sighed and, stepping into the elevator, replied, "Veronica."

"No!"

"Yeah. Six months now, actually."

"Seriously? That _Lodge_? And six months? Wow, Reggie Mantle is whipped isn't he?"

"Veronica calls it a fling."

"Oh that's harsh. Does Reggie know?"

"That it's a fling? I think so?"

"What about you, Betty? Has Elizabeth Cooper found someone special? Someone with red hair, perhaps?"

"Cheryl, I'm flattered, but I'm straight," Betty said and Cheryl rolled her eyes.

"Screw you, Betty. I was talking about the incredibly ripped boy next door."

"Yeah no, Archie is not happening."

"What, why? Did something happen between you two? Does that mean he's up for grabs?"

"He's all yours," Betty said, just as they reached the floor. They made their way to Casper's desk and Cheryl got everything she needed (in addition to Casper's number). When they stepped back into the elevator, Cheryl pressed the button to go to the ground floor, surprising Betty.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"I got what I came for. Besides, what would I do here anyway?" Cheryl replied and Betty nodded. "You should come by sometime. Now that I've got Thornhill rebuilt and I've ensured mother dearest will not be allowed within fifty feet of the gate. It doesn't reek of death anymore, but it does get very quiet."

"Did you just invite _me_ to your house?" Betty asked, giving Cheryl an incredulous smile. In her entire time knowing Cheryl, she had never once been personally invited to Thornhill. Sure, when the Blossoms had thrown parties she had gone, but never by Cheryl's request. In fact, Cheryl made it a point to show her how unwelcome she was every time she visited.

"Of course, Betty. We're family now," she said, with a slightly sad smile. "Besides, it's not like I have any real friends to call over. Lord knows everyone hates me after everything I've done in high school."

"I'm sure not _everyone_ does. For one, I don't hate you," Betty said. It was a white lie – she often did think about how much better her highschool life would have been if Cheryl hadn't been in it.

"Thanks, Betty, but you don't need to lie. I made your life living hell. Especially after what happened between Polly and Jason," she said and the doors opened. "I'll see you around, Betty."

And she was gone.

Betty's phone buzzed again just as the doors closed, and she glanced at it:

 _Okay, Cooper, you don't have to get the whole meal – just the burger. I mean, seriously, I didn't expect you to be so offended by my request that you'd leave me on read. -J_

 _Burgers._

On an impulse, Betty ran out towards Cheryl, who she could see was getting into her car.

"Cheryl!" She waved and the window went down as she approached. "Jughead and I are having a burger-off this weekend. Do you want to be one of the judges?"

She had never seen Cheryl look so surprised.

"Sure, but on one condition – it needs to be at Thornhill," she said and instantly Betty opened her mouth to fight the proposition. Cheryl held up a finger and said, "I insist."

"Okay," Betty heard herself agreeing even though every instinct told her not to go to that place.

"Great! Sunday afternoon, then. I'll send out a official invite to you and the others, obviously. Just text me the list of people by the end of today, okay? Veronica has my number. This means alot, Betty – bye!" She spoke so quickly, and she was gone before Betty could react. Betty stood there in stunned silence until she felt her phone ring – Reggie was reminding her that she had a job to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Line break means a change in POV**

* * *

By the time Jughead got back from Pop's, the other four had already started dinner. Veronica's high pitched voice greeted him when he walked through the door with a loud, screeching, "You did _what?"_

"Hey, um, what's going on?" He asked when everyone looked up.

"Tell him, Betty," Veronica said, and Jughead frowned. Of all the people Veronica could be angry at, he had never expected Betty to be the recipient. "Or should I?"

"I invited Cheryl to be one of the judges for the burger-off," Betty said, softly, and Jughead saw the others glare at her. He didn't particularly like Cheryl either, but he didn't understand why it was something everyone was so mad about. He especially didn't understand why Archie was so upset with this considering that part of the reason Archie was flourishing at work was that Cheryl was now his boss.

"So? That's good, right? The more the merrier," he said and saw Betty give him a smile of gratitude.

"Usually I would agree. But this is _Cheryl Blossom._ Betty, do you realise how snooty she's going to be? You know on the day of the party, she literally told me that she needed to get outside because of claustrophobia. _Claustro-fucking-phobia._ I do not need that woman coming in here and telling me that I'm not living the lavish, spoilt life that she is, okay? And who the fuck is she to come into _my_ house and tell me that it isn't big enough? I mean, the only reason I even called her was because Archie asked. And, after that party, I don't want her within fifty metres of my flat." Veronica finished ranting, her breathing slightly heavy with the weight it had just removed. Jughead was somewhat impressed by how strongly she felt about this. He had heard a lot of Veronica's rants but this was the first time he had seen her this passionate about something.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't want her here," Betty said, after a pause, "because we're having the contest at Thornhill."

"What?" Veronica hissed, her head snapping up as she looked at Betty through narrowed eyes.

"We're having the contest at Thornhill, Ronnie," she repeated, her tone calm but her eyes challenging Veronica to fight her on this.

"No. No, I refuse to go to that hell-hole. Betty, between the two of us, we have had terrible experiences there and I can't see why you would want to go back. I mean, it's literally called _Thorn-hill_. The name radiates evil, and I am not setting foot anywhere near that monstrosity."

"Fine. The rest of us will go," Betty said without missing a beat. Jughead had to bite back a smile at the nonchalance with which she proposed a non-Veronica plan. Veronica, on the other hand, looked sufficiently flabbergasted that this plan had even occurred to Betty.

"Okay?" Betty posed the question to the others as Jughead took a seat beside her.

"Um, no! That is not okay! At all!" Veronica exclaimed before anyone could respond, much to everyone's relief. The wrath would have been worse had anyone agreed.

"Great! So I'll see you all at Thornhill. Let's say… one o'clock?" Betty said, once again not missing a beat. Veronica seemed dazed at this development and mutely nodded. Betty gave a satisfied smile and clapped her hands together – to Jughead's amusement – before picking up her phone and calling Cheryl to inform her of the plans. Archie took her plate and everyone moved to the kitchen to clean up just as Betty returned from the fire escape.

Jughead, still in the middle of eating his pasta, gave her a smile of acknowledgement.

"Yeah, Cheryl. Okay, great, thanks. No, yeah, wine's fine. Yeah. See you Sunday!" She said rather chirpily before hanging up.

"That was impressive," he said, once she sat down and put her phone away.

"What was?"

"How you dealt with Veronica. I don't think anyone's ever suggested leaving her out of something."

"Occasionally I need to show her that I'm not going to take shit from her. Besides, Cheryl seemed really lonely at the office today."

"Cheryl came to your office?"

"Yeah, and guess who had to show her around? Best assistant Reggie Mantle's ever had, ladies and gentlemen," Betty said, taking a sip of wine.

"Best assistant? Wow, that's harsh," he said, remembering when he had been introduced as older brother to Jellybean's friends. It was her way of ensuring they never saw him as anything more than a background person. And he suspected Reggie was trying to do the same.

"Yeah. Guess who hates their job?"

"You?"

"And we have a winner!" She said, laughing a little. He figured she was still on her high from her victory over Veronica. "But hey, it pays the rent, so who am I to complain?"

"True," he agreed.

"Speaking of jobs, how was your first day, Jughead?"

"It was… hard. I mean, Pop assigned me to the post lunch shift which is the slowest and emptiest the diner is and, even then, I was just barely able to keep up. It was intense," he replied, thinking about how Pop had said spatula three times before Jughead handed him the right utensil. "Pretty sure Pop's eyes were gleaming with tears of disappointment at my ineptitude. Although, on the plus side, he _did_ say my burgers were one of the best he'd ever had."

"Did he now?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm not saying you should watch your back but… you should probably watch your back," he said with a slight smirk, and Betty laughed.

"That's adorable, Jughead. You know, once, someone decided to get married in Riverdale and wanted Pop to cater because they wanted burgers and his were the best they had ever had. Pop couldn't do it so he asked me to fill in. The couple couldn't even tell the difference," she said, with a shrug, and, for the first time, Jughead felt insecurity pool in his stomach.

"Did they live in Riverdale?"

"No, I think they ate at Pop's some ten years prior to the wedding, when they were visiting Riverdale."

And, just like that, the insecurity was gone.

"Well that hardly counts. I mean, if they forgot what the iconic burgers tasted like, they would have thought anything above average was better than usual."

"You do realise you called my burgers above average without even trying them, don't you?" Betty asked, raising an eyebrow, a smile playing along her lips.

"I don't believing in challenging mediocrity to ensure victory, Betty Cooper," he said, shrugging.

"I know. Imagine having to challenge yourself," she said, shaking her head. Before Jughead could respond, the other three returned, giving him his cue to put away his plate. When he returned, Archie was the only one left and, now that they were free of company, already taking off his shirt. How his flatmate could remove his shirt in the current temperature, Jughead would never understand. And yet, it happened so often, he was used to it. Although, he was still recovering from seeing said flatmate's genitalia.

"Oh shit, they've left?" He asked, rhetorically.

"Yeah, why?" Archie responded, opening the fridge and taking out some close-to-expiration yogurt. "You think I can eat this?"

"Sure. If diarrhea is your thing," Jughead said and saw Archie shrug and pull out a spoon. He rolled his eyes – he had already come to terms with the fact that Archie would probably be the first to go. _How did Betty ever have a thing for him?_ "And, no reason. I just… I wanted to talk to Betty."

"Oh yeah, you guys have gotten pretty close, haven't you?" Archie asked and Jughead felt his guard rising the same way it had when Jellybean had asked him how Toni was a few years ago.

"I wouldn't say we're close. We're just friends."

"That's not what she says," he said, taking a spoon of the yogurt to test it out. "Eh, it's okay," he came to a consensus, and shut the fridge, leaning against the breakfast bar and continuing to eat the yogurt. Jughead, on the other hand, was consumed by thoughts about what Betty _had_ said and how to ask.

"What do you mean? What does she say?" He tried to sound nonchalant – even walked with carefully casual footsteps towards Archie – while asking. Luckily, with a roommate as thick as Archie was, it wasn't hard to sound nonchalant.

"Nothing. She just said that you gave her some advice and she was really happy you did. Stuff like that. I don't know man, especially after Halloween, she seems to like you a lot more than she previously did. Not that she didn't like you but she liked you in a more… I don't know… indifferent way? Anyway, to be fair, it's not that hard to impress Betty. It's one of the good things about her," he said, with a smile. Jughead wasn't sure he was hearing right.

"Archie, are you saying Betty settles?"

"Not settles so much as doesn't have the crazy high expectations she used to have. She's more reasonable now, especially since Polly left."

"Polly? As in her sister – that Polly?"

"Yeah. I guess that was one thing Betty never saw coming. Maybe she assumed her sister was stronger than that or willing to tough it out or something – I don't know. All I know is Polly left and Betty loosened up," he replied, oblivious to the confusion he was causing in Jughead's mind. Jughead had only heard bits and pieces about Polly. He knew that Polly had gotten pregnant in high school and had twins and that she had moved out of Riverdale. He also knew her favourite ice cream because Betty had pointed it out once, deciding to try it for the first time when they went to get ice cream for the others.

"Wait, what do you mean she left?"

"Nobody really knows what happened because Betty never talks about it. All I know is she called me at seven in the morning, crying about Polly's disappearance. It's been, what? Five years since then? Anyway, if you want to know what happened, you should ask her. I mean, she probably won't tell you but can't hurt to ask, right?" Archie said, throwing away the yogurt and washing the spoon quickly. "I think I'm going to call it a night, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, night," Jughead responded, just about registering Archie's final thoughts. He could see a story forming and it was a fascinating one. The only problem was, it had too many holes and the thread was just short of tying it all up. Glancing at the ceiling, he wondered if she would be receptive to an informal interview now.

 _Can't hurt to ask, right?_

* * *

 _"Waiting,"_ Stitch said, backing away.

 _"For what?"_

 _"Family."_

As she had predicted before watching the movie, Betty burst into tears when Stitch said this, the waterworks only increasing when Stitch was told he had no family. What she hadn't predicted was her doorbell ringing. She jumped when it rang and paused the movie on Nani eating cereal, quickly wiping her eyes and nose before going to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Jughead on the other side. But, somehow, he seemed more surprised to see her. It took her a moment to realise that she looked like she had been sobbing (the fact that she had been sobbing was a completely different matter).

"Betty, are you okay?" He asked, the alarm evident in her tone as his brow furrowed.

Thinking back to the movie only made Betty's eyes well up again. She blinked them away furiously.

"I'm fine. What's – what's up?"

"Can I come in?" He asked and Betty glanced at the TV before reluctantly stepping aside to let him in. He walked in and looked at the TV and, just like that, the alarm dissipated from his face and understanding set in, instead.

"Ah. You're watching _Lilo and Stitch._ That explains it," he said, going and sitting down on the couch.

"I'm assuming you've seen it?" She asked and, to her immense surprise, he shook his head.

"Never. Heard a lot about how it makes everyone cry, though. It was one of the only movies that could make my ex-girlfriend cry, actually."

"Well, unlike your ex, I cry at pretty much everything," she admitted, taking a seat beside him as he chuckled at this comment. "Do you want to watch it?"

"No," his response was so immediate and final, Betty realised that his visit had an agenda. She nodded and, pulling her legs up, raised her eyebrows in question.

"Okay. What's up, then?"

"I… I wanted to ask you something," he said. He said it in a tone that Betty had heard people use before asking someone out or confessing some level of hidden feelings. Instantly she was on edge – she didn't know how she would respond if Jughead actually asked her out. After all, she only had practice turning down people, owing to her being in love with someone else for the longest time. "Well, more like wanted to talk about something… with you."

"Okay… shoot," she said and he looked away to take a deep breath, only making Betty's worry more intense.

"I was wondering if I could talk about your sister… with you," he said and, for the first time ever, Betty wanted to sigh with relief that someone wanted to talk about Polly. Of course, the relief only lasted for about thirty seconds before it was replaced with dread. It also didn't take a genius to know where the inquiry was coming from.

"What did Archie tell you?"

"Literally nothing. All he knows is that she left – which was already arguably more than I knew. I didn't know she ran away. I'm so sorry about that," he said and she could tell he was being sincere. There was something else there too, but she wasn't sure what it was yet and didn't want to ask.

"Yeah, that seems right. We didn't tell anyone the full story. Not even the sheriff. My parents just made Polly out to be this troubled young mother, incapable of handling her children and just mentally unsound enough to want to run away with toddler twins."

"You disagree?"

"This kinda sounds like an interview, Jughead," she said, with a nervous laugh and watched him immediately check himself.

"I'm so sorry. I just… when Archie was talking about your sister and everything, all I could think about was how great a story this was. Oh god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say I wanted to profit from your family's grief."

"And yet that's exactly what you said," she said, shaking her head with a smile.

"I'm really sorry, Betty. If you want me to get out, just tell me and I swear I will. It's just a fascinating story and I know you haven't told anyone about it – at least that's what Archie tells me – so if you don't want to tell me, I totally understand. But I also want you to know that, if you do choose to tell me your family secrets, I will take them to my grave, I promise," he said, the former sincerity colouring this mini-speech. Betty looked at him curiously, trying to see what was churning below the surface. To see why he was so bent on learning her story. She had assumed until now that his ex was the extent of his dark past but the way he spoke about Polly told her there was more to it than she was aware of. And yet, it was this 'more' that she didn't know that was slowly wearing her down into trusting him with a story she hadn't even told the people hired to look for her sister.

"To your grave?" She confirmed and saw a smile of comprehension slowly curve his lips.

"If I don't, I give you permission to personally put me there."

"Oh I don't need your permission to do that, Jughead," she said, with a slight laugh, preparing herself for the story she was about to tell.

 _If the wind wasn't as strong as it had been, Betty wouldn't have noticed when she went to get herself water at five in the morning. But the amount of cool air coming from Polly's slightly cracked doorway was enough to make the door creak on its hinges. Deciding to shut the window so the twins wouldn't freeze, Betty pushed the door open and that's when she saw the rope made of curtains, clothes, and sheets hanging out of the window._

 _She didn't even register screaming._

 _All she knew was that her parents were in the room in a second, her mother's legs collapsing beneath her when she saw the empty bed stripped of sheets, the barren cupboard and the lack of her grandchildren. Hal held onto his wife, preventing her from sinking completely to the ground and going to the window to look out._

 _"Betty, call the Sheriff," he said._

 _"Dad -"_

 _"Call the station, damn it!" He bellowed before flying past her, down the stairs, and to the driveway. Betty called the station while following him out – Polly had taken the car. The police spent days out in the woods, looking for Polly and reports of her appearance were sent to all stations within a five mile radius of the town. Somehow Polly had managed to evade them all_ _and never came home._

It felt oddly good to tell someone, even if Betty was well aware of the tears streaming down her face. But, in addition to them being tears of memory, they were also tears of relief. It was as if the burden of truth was shifting and was now slightly lighter on her shoulders. Jughead, on the other hand, sat with a deeply furrowed brow, staring at the floor.

"Holy shit, Betty. That sucks," he said and she laughed at the simplicity of his reaction.

"Yeah. Yeah, it does suck," she agreed and saw him crack a slight smile at this. He stared at her for a few more moments before he picked up the remote and resumed the movie. Betty stared at him for a second, wishing she could read the thousands of questions clouding his mind right now but simultaneously glad that she couldn't – she didn't want to be in a position of inability to provide answers. So she leaned back too, turning back to watch the movie. The last scene with Stitch's exit speech came and she heard Jughead sniff loudly, watching him blink furiously as Stitch was allowed to reside on Earth. The credits rolled and Betty switched off the TV, sitting with him in silence for a while.

"Did she ever make contact?" He finally asked and Betty gave a small smile.

"Sporadically, but she did. Always from a blocked number, though. But still. I suppose it was her way of letting me know she was alive and okay. I just wish I could see her once. Just to sort out this mess, you know?" She asked and Jughead nodded. Again, this nod reflected the previous sincerity of his emotion.

"I understand," he said and stood up with an air of finality. Betty stood up too, to see him to the door. "Anyway, I should go now. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Betty agreed and he smiled, making his way to the door. "Jughead," she stopped him at the door, "thank you for asking me to do this. Maybe I did need to talk about it with someone who doesn't know my family at all. I also hope I have given you enough material for your book." He laughed at this and nodded.

"This town has given me more than enough material for my book, at this point. The burger-off alone could be its own chapter," he said, with a laugh.

"You know, Polly taught me how to make the burgers I have become famous for. She stopped eating burgers at some point – switched to salads. But her burgers remained her pride and joy, and she passed her skills down to me," Betty said, smiling at the memories the burger-off brought with it.

Jughead chuckled too and said, "Like I said, I don't enjoy battling mediocrity."

"Of course," she said with a laugh, and he said goodnight again, disappearing down the stairs. Betty stood in her doorway for a moment, staring at the spot where he had left her line of sight.

The burger-off arrived, and - with a grumbling Veronica - the five of them went to Thornhill. Thornhill, although rebuilt, looked exactly the same as it had prior to the fire, with Cheryl's slightly sinister smile still welcoming everyone to the mansion of hell. However, thanks to the agenda and the egos dependent on it, everyone spared little thought to the gothic grandeur of the place. However, the darkness and horror movie-aesthetic didn't go amiss by anyone. Especially when there was a giant, looming portrait of Cheryl and her brother in the main hall, smiling at anyone who dared enter. The tendrils of smoke created by incense candles at the bottom of the portrait didn't help. Betty's footsteps slowed, feeling as if under a microscope. With Jason Blossom's size, she felt like he was watching her every move – somehow blaming her for everything that had happened between him and her sister. She took a step back, away from the portrait, and she crashed into Jughead behind her, feeling him grab her arms to steady her.

"You okay?" He murmured into her ear, his breath moving her hair ever so slightly.

"Yeah, sorry," Betty whispered back, standing tall once again and shooting Jason an obstinate look before continuing to follow Cheryl to the backyard, where the cook-off was being held. Once they came to a stop near the grill, Cheryl turned around, clapping her hands together, a much more genuine smile gracing her lips this time.

"Welcome to the new and improved Thornhill! I brought a fishbowl for the votes to go into and scraps of paper to write whoever you're voting for. The contestants will have to make three burgers each – a cheeseburger, a hamburger, and a turkey burger. They will be judged on various elements of each burger. The four of us will receive scorecards where we can score their burgers and tally up the points at the end of each round. Whoever wins two, or more, out of three rounds gets their name in the bowl. Seem fair?"

"Wow Cheryl, you put a lot of thought into this," Betty said, somewhat impressed at the meticulous planning that went into this. She was also convinced that literally no one would give a shit and the scorecards would remain unused. "Do Jughead and I get to vote?"

"You guys are obviously going to vote for yourselves," Cheryl said, the smile slipping as she gave Betty a look of disbelief. Jughead cleared his throat and, after Cheryl exchanged a glance with him, she reapplied the smile and shook her head. "I mean, of course you guys can vote. Anyway, shall we begin?"

To Betty's surprise, Archie, Veronica, and Kevin seemed to seriously consider using the scorecards and actually wrote things down for the first round. Veronica's mood seemed to improve with each number she wrote down while Archie and Kevin resorted to chewing off the ends of their pencils. She also watched Jughead work out of the corner of her eye and had to do everything she could not to just turn around and watch him because of the fluidity with which he moved around his station. Since she was the only one of the four who would cook, she rarely got to see someone be at ease in a kitchen. More than once she had to remind herself that this was a contest and that Jughead wasn't a zoo animal.

Cheryl held the fishbowl as if it was the Holy Grail and Betty could tell that there was a speech coming. However, it seemed the day was full of surprises: Cheryl chose not to give a speech. Instead, with a great amount of dramatic flair, she said, "The time has come to count the votes."

And so it began.

"Jughead; um… Jughead; Betty! And, um… Eli – oh, Betty, again. Wow this is going to be a tie isn't it?" She said, grinning as she pulled out the next chit, "Betty, again. And… for the last chit… Betty! Betty, congratulations! You won!" She said, folding the paper and dropping it back into the bowl. Betty stood for a few moments in shock before a large grin spread across her face.

"I won!" She exclaimed, and Veronica gave her a tight hug, Kevin and Archie piling on after a moment.

"I always knew you would," Veronica said, grinning at her.

"Guys calm down, she won a burger-off, not a Nobel prize," Jughead said in the background and Betty turned around, giving him a smirk.

"It's okay Jughead. I'm sure you'll win next year," she said, making it an annual tradition on the spot. After all, they had had fun. A smile crept onto Jughead's face as her words registered.

"You want to make humiliation an annual thing, Cooper?"

"As long as it's yours," she replied, with a shrug and he grinned.

"Guys, seriously? Give up the banter – the contest's over," Kevin said and Betty knew instantly that he was the one other than Jughead who had voted for Jughead.

"It's okay, Kev. You can vote for the real winner next year," she said and saw Kevin redden considerably at the accusation. Without a response, Kevin turned to Cheryl and struck up a conversation, beginning with thanking her for hosting the competition. Betty, on the other hand, went to take the bowl and check who voted for whom – other than burgers, remembering handwriting was her pride and joy.

The first chit she opened was Veronica's, with her name scrawled on it. She smiled and opened the next one with her name: Archie's. Kevin's and hers appeared next, revealing Jughead's and her name respectively. The next chit she opened was Cheryl's, with Jughead's name on it. She frowned, wondering if Cheryl misspoke. She opened the last chit and saw Elizabeth scrawled neatly in a line, along the centre of the chit. She stared at the chit for a few seconds, processing this information. After all, Jughead hadn't tried her burger so he had no right to judge that she was the better of the two of them. Glancing back at the man now getting a speech of consolation from Archie, she met his eye and received a sheepish smile from him. Slowly her fist closed, crumpling the note, as she put it into her pocket and returned to join the party.

* * *

Jughead walked into his flat, his breath instantly taken away. The living and dining rooms were illuminated with the warm glow of candlelight. The candles were placed on every available surface, shadows of the flame dancing on the walls. He was about to call out for Archie when Betty walked out of Archie's room, holding a covered tray. He frowned at the grin on her face, the previously homely atmosphere morphing into an eerie one. He could even swear that there was a face created on the wall when the light and shadow played with each other.

"Betty, what's going on?" He asked and she just motioned to one end of the round dining table.

"Sit," she instructed, placing the tray in front of what was presumably his chair. He didn't follow her instructions.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned instead and the smile began slipping from her face.

"I said sit, Jughead," she emphasized and, reluctantly, he sat down before the tray. Betty seemed satisfied and, with a flourish, removed the cover, revealing three burgers. Jughead frowned at this, looking up at her, waiting for an explanation. "One hamburger, one turkey burger, and one cheeseburger."

"Betty… what's all this?" He asked again and she sat down, taking something out of her pocket – a crumpled note.

"I just want to make sure I'm worthy of this," she said, letting it fall beside the tray. "And since Archie's finally left on that business trip, I figured this was as good a time as any."

Jughead unfolded the note gingerly. He could tell it was rather old because it all but fell apart in his hands. It was brown around the edges and the pencil writing within was smudged from being crumpled for so long. However, squinting slightly in the suboptimal illumination, he could make out his own handwriting.

 _Elizabeth._

His eyes widened and he looked back at her – it had been almost a month since the contest. Her smile widened – becoming more sinister – and she nodded at the food. He glanced at the burgers. To her credit, the burgers looked incredible. Even if her way of getting him to eat them was somewhat creepy and unnecessarily grand. However, he supposed, on some level, somewhat-creepy-and-unnecessarily-grand was a side of Betty Cooper he had never seen before. And he would much rather see it under the current circumstances than something actually creepy and grand.

Betty cleared her throat and Jughead took a bite of the hamburger. He was pretty sure that was the first time he had ever had a real orgasm.

"Betty, this is incredible," he moaned through the mouthful of burger, and the sinister smile donning her face was replaced with one of joy. Instantly the shadows returned to dancing on the wall and the warmth seeped back into his bones. Jughead had eaten a lot of burgers in his time, and yet these were the best burgers he had ever had. Maybe it had to do with the way he felt about her, but he decided not to dwell on that and enjoy his burger instead.

The three burgers disappeared in no time, the chewing occasionally interrupted by praises and Jughead leaned back, feeling his food baby. It was a glorious feeling – demolishing three burgers the way he had.

"Dessert?" Betty questioned, and Jughead laughed.

"No, I actually think I'm too full for chocolate, Betty," he said and she gave a laugh, breaking some chocolate off the bar for herself and returning to the table.

"So I'm assuming you liked them then?"

" _Liked_ them? Betty, eating those burgers was an ethereal experience. I swear I saw heaven for a bit after the first bite of that turkey burger – and I don't believe turkey burgers are really burgers. Seriously, Betty. That was incredible. Thank you so much, and now I can say with full confidence that you deserved to win that title," he said and she laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Okay, just for my peace of mind – better or worse than sex?" She asked and he wondered for a few moments.

 _"Babe, are you coming to bed?" She asked, already starting to unbutton his shirt that she was wearing._

 _"There's still pasta in the pot," he said, more to himself than to her. As much as he loved leftovers, the uneaten pasta was still hot._

 _"I can give you something even better in the bedroom," she purred into his ear, sensing his hesitation._

 _"More cheese?" He asked, only half-joking. She, however, threw her head back and laughed and he laughed too, after a beat. Jughead didn't want to admit that he wanted cheese more, right now._

 _"More everything," she said, once she regained control and, with a sigh, he followed her. Lying on his back later, he wished he had put more cheese on the pasta._

"Infinitely better," he replied and Betty grinned, reaching for his plate. He allowed her to do so, not sure he would be able to stand after all the food he had eaten. She returned and sat down, propping up her chin on crossed fingers.

"Jughead, can I ask you a question?" She asked and he could sense the hesitation in her tone. To put her at ease, he decided to pull the oldest joke in the book.

"You just did," he said, grinning and her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"This is serious, Juggie. I need to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot."

"Why did you vote for me?" She asked, and he paused. When he had written down her name, it hadn't occurred to him that it might be weird. It was clear which of the two of them needed the win more and so he had written her name, unthinkingly. In fact, he hadn't even hesitated – almost writing his name and then writing hers. He put the pencil to the paper and Elizabeth appeared on the paper before him. So he stuck with that.

"I… don't know," he said, not wanting to construe what he did as an act of pity, or worse, of insult.

"Was it because of what I told you? About Polly?" She asked and he met her eyes. Her eyes were an even richer green in the candlelight as they probed him with questions about the vote. He couldn't lie to her and so found himself nodding, averting his gaze in shame.

"I hope you don't take it as an insult. It's just… I thought you could use a win," he admitted and watched her stare hard at a slightly darker spot on the dining table. When she stayed quiet a couple of moments, he began to worry. "I hope you aren't too mad, Betts," he said, trying to ease the tension and it was as if she was realising he was there. She glanced up at him with mild surprise, studying his face for a few moments before giving him a small smile and sending a wave of relief washing over him.

"I'm not mad, Jughead. You're right – I did need a win. And hey, apparently it was well deserved," she said, with a small smile, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"It was very well deserved," he said, and she smiled at him for a moment before pushing back her chair and standing up to leave.

"I should go," she announced, and he nodded, following her to the door. Without meaning to, he was standing close behind her, ready to open the door for her, when she turned around, colliding with him. "I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed and he could see the light blush colouring her cheeks as she quickly stepped back, away from him. "I just forgot my bag."

"Right," he said, side-stepping to give her space. Retrieving her bag, she didn't meet his eye, instead hurrying out the door, mumbling goodbye on her way out.

He stared at the now-empty flat. It was weird – colder, now that he was alone. Betty had washed the plate used for the burgers and replaced the tray – it was as if she had never come by. As if she had never collided with him and fit perfectly like a puzzle piece against him. Absentmindedly, he reached to turn on the light before checking himself and allowing the candles to continue spreading their glow. This was what she had wanted so this is how it was going to be. He made it a point to blow them out before bed. A bed filled with dreams of someone lying beside him with her head on his chest and her blonde hair spread out, staring at the sky, laying on grass in the middle of nowhere, with no baggage to worry about.


	9. Chapter 9

Christmas brought with it a thick layer of snow and Let It Snow playing in the diner constantly. It was a nice ambience in the beginning – especially since Pop, with Jughead's help, had turned the diner into a winter wonderland, with a large tree in one corner and fairy lights of red and green strung up everywhere. However, three weeks into December and people began coming to the diner only for the warmth, spending their time groaning about how Let It Snow was the worst Christmas song there was.

"You can't argue, Christmas really does bring people together," Betty said to Jughead, sitting at the counter in the diner. He chuckled in response, putting together a milkshake for whoever had ordered it.

"Yes, I suppose hating Let It Snow has become a community event in Riverdale," Jughead agreed, putting the milkshake on the counter and calling out for Dan to take it to table number three.

"So, what are your Christmas plans?" Betty asked, and although her tone was offhand, Jughead heard the undertones of an agenda. He looked at her for a moment, trying to read her eyes before shaking his head.

"Nothing, yet. I was going to spend it with Jellybean, but she's going on a single's cruise, so I guess that's out. I figured I'd just go out and get drunk at some bar."

"How very lone wolf of you," Betty said, chuckling at his response.

"Yes, well, I do have a reputation to maintain. What about you? What are your plans?"

"My parents are out of town, otherwise I would have gone to visit them," she said, shrugging and looking away. Jughead nodded, picking up a cloth and starting to wipe down the counter. "So…" Betty said and he smiled – here it comes. "I was wondering if maybe you'd want to come to my place for Christmas."

His hand nearly slipped off the counter.

"Your place?"

"Yeah," she said and then frowned at his response. "You okay with that?"

"What, like just the two of us?" He asked, keeping his tone carefully even. Betty guffawed at this and, for once, Jughead was glad that the diner was so vibrantly lit – the pink glow hid the redness of his face.

"No, obviously not. I'll call Veronica, Kevin, Reggie, and Cheryl. You know, whoever participated in Secret Santa. I thought we could do the gift exchange at my place. What do you think?" She asked, biting her lip, awaiting his response to this proposal. Jughead looked at her for a few seconds – while he would have loved going to Betty's for Christmas, he really didn't want to do Secret Santa with everyone else present. It was mainly because he had got Betty and he had gotten her something nice if she took it the right way. It was highly controversial, but once Jughead had decided on it, he knew it was the perfect present - once again, only if she took it the right way. But, seeing Betty biting her lip with nervousness (mostly because he had heard that they usually did the gift exchange at Veronica's), he couldn't help but smile and nod.

"I think that's great. Do you want moral support while telling Veronica?"

"Why, Mr. Jones, you read my mind," she said with a terrible British accent and he laughed. She stood up, putting some money on the counter for her coffee. "Anyway, I should go now – Reggie wants me to run some errands for him. I'll see you tonight to pitch the idea to Veronica?"

"Yeah, sure," he agreed, and she gave him another smile. The bell over the diner door tinkled as she walked out.

"I'm so glad she moved on from Archie. I think you're really good for her, Jughead," he heard Pop say behind him and Jughead whipped around, hoping the pinkness of the diner was continuing to hide his face.

"What?"

"Betty – I'm glad she found you instead of Archie. I love the boy, but god knows he could win an award for being as oblivious as he is," Pop said, giving Jughead a soft smile. Jughead knew that working here had brought him and Pop closer, but he hadn't realised they had gotten this close.

"Pop… there's nothing going on between me and Betty," Jughead said, slowly. Pop's smile turned into a frown.

"But why not?"

"I don't – this is not a professional conversation to be having," Jughead deflected, turning around and continuing to wipe the counter.

"Okay, Jughead, whatever you say," he heard Pop say behind him and Jughead fought to keep a neutral expression.

He had never seen Betty's face light up as much as it did when he walked into his flat. The other three were already there, and Jughead made a mental note to maybe get the lock changed at some point. This was especially since coffee had somehow already spilled on the breakfast bar, and he was only three minutes late to the meeting.

"Seriously?" He said, indicating the coffee, and Veronica's cheeks coloured slightly. She hastily cleared her throat and turned to Betty.

"So, Betty, why did you call this meeting?"

"I wanted to run something by you," Betty said, and Jughead could already hear the nervousness in her tone. Veronica nodded encouragingly, and taking a deep breath along with casting a glance in his direction, Betty continued, "What if, this year, we have Secret Santa at my place? I mean, the opening of the gifts."

There was a silence that followed this proposition, and Betty looked just about ready to take it back. Jughead grazed her arm with his fingers to remind her that she should hold her ground and she glanced at him again, this time with a small smile.

"Okay, fine," Veronica suddenly said, and Betty and Jughead looked up at her in surprise. "Well don't look too surprised," she continued, rolling her eyes.

"No, we're sorry, it's just – thank you, V," Betty said, grinning at Veronica. Veronica simply nodded as if saying that this was the least she could do. Which, Jughead suspected, was the case. But he didn't complain, especially since this was a rare moment of victory for Betty (after all, she rarely asked for anything), and so he went and got out a bottle of wine, getting everyone to ditch their coffee instantly.

* * *

As much as Betty was enjoying this little victory, it had been a little too easily achieved. She had expected at least some half-hearted argument on Veronica's part. Especially since her friend reveled in putting together little events, complete with olives and cheese, and a wine selection. So, after Kevin disappeared for his date with Seth, Betty decided to walk Veronica outside. She noticed the surprise in Jughead's eyes when he saw her using the front door instead of the fire escape and rolled her eyes in response.

"Bye, B," Veronica said, at the top of the staircase, ready to descend to her flat, consequently bringing Betty out of her thoughts.

"Wait, Veronica. Why did you agree to it?" Betty asked and Veronica cocked her head to one side, evidently confused.

"Agree to what?"

"To the opening of the presents being at my house?"

"Betty, I thought you wanted to host it."

"I did! It's just… it's not like you to give that up so easily," she admitted, and saw Veronica smile at this. Her raven hair swayed when she shook her head.

"Well, I just thought that if we left after having it at your place, then you and Jughead could get some time alone. I mean, I assumed that's why you wanted to have it at yours," she gave an answer Betty would have never been able to predict in a million years. In fact, Betty was sure that Veronica would bring up charity or something. She had never expected Jughead to be brought up. She chuckled nervously in response, hoping her best friend was joking and this was one of the many times Betty didn't get her jokes.

"Very funny, Veronica," Betty said and Veronica frowned.

"I wasn't joking, Betty. Wait, oh my god, you two aren't together!" She exclaimed it as a statement instead of a question. And yet, Betty found herself shaking her head with fervour, in agreement.

"No, no we're not," she said and Veronica nodded.

"Well, that's definitely my bad. Sorry, it's just… the way he… you know what, forget it. I'm sorry for assuming, Betty. I mean, I was offended that you didn't tell me, you know."

"There was nothing to tell," Betty replied with a shrug, and Veronica smiled, nodding.

"Of course there isn't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'll see you for Secret Santa, then?" She asked and, without waiting for a reply, traipsed down the stairs, humming Let It Snow to herself. Betty watched her descend in silence, still a little shocked by the assumption.

 _It's as if people can't be friends anymore._

It was with this final thought that Betty dismissed what Veronica was saying and went to bed. And yet she found herself awake at three in the morning, the thought nagging at her mind.

The presents lay in the centre, in all their colourful glory as everyone participating sat around them. The gifts of varying sizes were opened one by one with Betty opening hers last - Veronica had told her that the host always opens their gifts last. She watched Veronica light up when she saw the necklace Betty had got for her and was even happier when Betty told her that she had the receipt so the gift could be returned. Betty wasn't sure how to feel about that. Jughead gave Reggie an awkward smile when he found a plain blue sweater inside the box.

"Gee, Reggie, how did you know?" He asked sarcastically, and Reggie grinned, reminding Jughead that he had spilled mustard on his previous blue sweater and that's why he had got this one. Betty was pretty sure Jughead tuned out after the first word.

"Beautiful story, babe. Betty, it's your turn," Veronica said, grinning, and Betty looked down at her gift and then looked up and smiled at Jughead. The second she had laid eyes on the wrapping paper, she had known it was Jughead's. Especially since Pop had the same wrapping paper cut into snowflakes and put on the wall. He returned her smile and she could tell it was laced with nerves.

"Thanks for the gift, Jughead," she said and everyone else laughed. Jughead, however, still looked nervous as hell, and Betty frowned, now excited about opening the gift. She opened it slowly, careful not to tear the paper. Her breath caught when she saw the gift: a first edition copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison. She had only seen this in second hand bookstores and online. And even then, it had been much too expensive to buy.

Well, he is a bestselling author – for all you know, he has Toni Morrison on speed dial.

She glanced up once in disbelief before she gingerly took out the book – it was in excellent shape. She opened it and out of it fell a polaroid. It was a picture of them standing on the fire escape, smiling and drinking coffee. At the bottom, written in the neat handwriting she remembered:

To Betty Cooper,  
Thank you for introducing me to your favourite author – SS (aka JJ).

Betty suddenly realised that the picture of them on the fire escape was when she had told Jughead about how much she admired Toni Morrison.

 _Betty stood on the fire escape, sipping coffee and staring out at the snow gently falling. She loved winter in Riverdale – it was always calm, and yet, with everyone coming back for vacation, simultaneously bustling with activity. But it was a blur of familiar faces making the town truly feel like home during the holiday season. Not to mention, the ice skating was always a blast. She heard Jughead's window creak open downstairs and glanced down, watching him climb out onto the balcony with his own cup of coffee._

 _"Hey," she smiled, and he looked up, momentary surprise melting into a grin as he greeted her in response._

 _"Hey yourself," he replied, and she realised he was holding his Kindle._

 _"Reading something?"_

 _"This is the third time I'm trying to get through Beloved," he replied._

 _Betty had never gone down stairs faster. Jughead watched her bound down in amusement and stepped back as she halted centimetres away from him._

 _"You okay, Betts?" He asked as she took a shaky step back. "Do you need to sit down?"_

 _"No, I'm fine," she said, shooting him a glare._

 _"It's just – I think that's the most amount of the exercise I've ever seen you do," he commented, mock appreciation colouring his tone. She rolled her eyes at him._

 _"You were saying something about Beloved."_

 _"I take it you're a fan?"_

 _"I mean if you thought I was a fan of your writing you have no idea how I am when it comes to my lord and saviour."_

 _"Blasphemous. And right around Christmas too," Jughead placed a hand on his chest dramatically. Betty shook her head._

 _"Why can't you get through Beloved?"_

 _"It's really depressing," he said, after a pause and Betty nodded – it was true, her writing wasn't for everyone._

 _"But it's also so beautiful," she commented and Jughead raised an eyebrow at her._

 _"I suppose it is."_

 _"I mean, just the way she writes, it's incredible," she continued and saw Jughead crack a smile at her endless appreciation of her idol. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. It's just, I've tried in vain to get the other three to pick up any of her books and give them a read but, like I said, it was in vain. I mean you're already doing better by getting the book yourself," she said, with a laugh and he chuckled too._

 _"You know what? I'll put in real effort this time," he promised, smiling. Betty smiled too, hearing the sincerity in his tone._

She supposed that was when Veronica had taken the picture.

"Do you like it?" Jughead asked, breaking the silence that had followed her opening of the present.

"Like it? Juggie, I love it," the world started moving again as she walked over to him and hugged him. "Thank you so much," she whispered, and giving him a small kiss on the cheek, ran to put the book in her shelf.

* * *

In spite of the cold, Jughead felt like warmth had encircled him in the form of Betty Cooper. Her joy at his gift had made him happier than he had been in a while. In fact, a lot of things about Betty Cooper had made him happier than he had been in a while. He was slowly realising that coming to Riverdale was one of the best decisions he had ever made.

"Careful Jughead, with that kind of glow, people may think you're pregnant," Veronica murmured as she walked past him to leave her glass on the breakfast bar.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, even though he could feel the blush warming his cheeks.

"If it's any consolation, I think it's mutual," she continued, with a smirk and a small shrug. Before he could respond to this, Betty returned.

"So, do you guys want some dinner?" Betty asked, and everyone looked away awkwardly. Jughead could tell that they all had plans.

"Actually, we should go. Reggie and I have some dinner plans," Veronica replied and Betty nodded in response. One by one they all excused themselves and while Betty showed them to the door, Jughead slipped into the kitchen to do the dishes. He had chosen to hang back to give her her gift but nerves meant that he needed to keep busy. As a result, he washed and wiped the plates as slowly as possible. While he wiped down the third plate, he heard the soft clicking of her boots on the floor and knew she was watching him.

"You know," Jughead broke the silence without turning around, "it's kinda creepy to be watched while doing the dishes."

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Betty said, joining him by the sink and wiping down the glasses before putting them away.

"I know I didn't have to but I wanted to," he replied, giving her a smile. She returned the smile and they finished doing the dishes in silence. Returning to the living room, Jughead could feel himself chickening out from giving her the real present. More than once he glanced at the door, wondering if he should just leave and sensed that she could tell he was hesitating about something.

"I know I already said it, but thanks for the book, Jughead. It's one of the best things I've ever received," she complimented with complete honesty, and once again, he felt warmth spread through him.

"You're very welcome," he said with a grin, which she returned. Then he saw her eyes suddenly light up with realisation, and her hands come up with excitement.

"Oh my god, I just remembered! Okay, since you're planning to spend Christmas bar-hopping, I figured I could just give you your real present now and then spend Christmas with my grandparents or something," she said and he laughed with amusement at her excitement.

"You know I was kidding about the bar-hopping thing, right?" He inquired and saw confusion flit across her face for a moment – did she truly believe that he was planning to bar hop on Christmas?

"Yeah, of course," she answered with a forced laugh. "Anyway, since I now have plans for Christmas, I can just give you your gift now."

"Absolutely," he said and she disappeared into her room. He took the opportunity to sit down and contemplate returning the favour with his gift. He didn't come to conclusion, however, since she returned as quickly as she disappeared, holding a perfectly wrapped present. She handed it to him and sat down, waiting expectantly. Unwrapping it, he found himself holding the newest edition of Beloved.

Laughter bubbled to the surface as the irony of the gift hit him. She grinned, clearly happy about this coincidence.

"Do you like it?" She asked, using the same tone he had.

"Like it? Betts, I love it," he replied, using her tone in response. "But I also feel like you're making a statement."

"Maybe," she shrugged and he laughed again. This weirdly ironic gift gave him the courage he needed to give her her gift.

"You know, I actually have a gift for you too," he got out quickly, before he lost his nerve. Her eyebrows rose and her lips curved into a smile as she waited for her gift expectantly.

Jughead's heart was beating harder than a drum at a metal concert.

He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. She frowned – she had probably expected something more elaborate – and took it from him, an amused smile gracing her lips when she noticed the red and green bow he had drawn on the cover to make it more festive. However, the smile dissipated the second she opened the card. He saw her read the contents multiple times as the paper began trembling in her hands.

"What is this?" She asked softly, her voice shaking slightly. But he knew she already knew what it was, so he chose to remain silent. "Jughead Jones, what the fuck is this?" She asked again, her voice much more steady and gaining volume.

"It's exactly what you think it is," he replied this time and waited for her to comment on this. He could see the bewildered disbelief in her eyes as she opened and shut her mouth numerous times. "Betty, if I've overstepped or something, feel free to throw it away. Just tear it up and throw it away. Or, better yet, set it on fire and watch the flame slowly and methodically consume the paper until nothing but ash is left behind and that can be thrown into the Atlantic Ocean where-" he was interrupted by Betty throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Slightly in shock, he hesitated before putting his arms around her too.

"I can't believe you found her," she whispered, and he finally relaxed: she liked the gift. When she pulled away, her eyes were glazed with tears. She blinked them away furiously, but a stray tear found its way down her cheek regardless. Without thinking, Jughead reached up and brushed it away with his thumb, his hand cupping her face in the process. Realising what he had done, he began pulling his hand away, only to be stopped by hers. He tried reading her face to see what was happening – if she was thinking what he was thinking.

And then she was leaning in.

His eyes closed instinctively, and he leaned in too.

He could feel her breath on his lips when there was a loud knocking - almost banging on the door, and his eyes flew open, cool air replacing the warmth that Betty had radiated as she jumped back. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the knocking came again. Rubbing her nose once, Betty stood up.

"I should get that," she stated and Jughead nodded, watching her go to the door. The second she opened the door, in came Veronica, evidently in a frenzy about something.

"Betty, oh thank god you're home! I was so – what's Jughead doing here?"

"Oh I was-"

"He was just leaving," Betty interjected and Jughead frowned at her. She pleaded with her eyes and, as he knew he would, he gave in and nodded.

"- leaving, apparently," he finished, and made his way to the door. Betty held it open for him, and at the door, mouthed a thank you to him. He gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded, saying bye to Veronica over her shoulder and going downstairs.

He entered his flat and, for the first time since Archie had left, he wished Archie had been there. Or someone, anyone, to talk to about this situation. As if on cue the phone rang and Jughead jumped, staring at it for a few moments before picking up.

"Hello?"

"Big brother!" Jellybean exclaimed on the other end, and Jughead almost laughed with relief. If it had been Archie calling, he might have freaked out enough to hang up.

"So, I was thinking – I haven't seen you in a few months, and my goddamn cruise got cancelled. Therefore, with all these facts in mind, I'm thinking Christmas party at the Greendale flat?" She inquired, and Jughead was glad for the distraction.

"That's great, JB. And sure, we can do Christmas there," he agreed, and spent the next hour planning a party with his sister.

* * *

"V, do you want some water?" Betty asked, once she shut the door behind Jughead.

"Oh no, we are way past water. Something starting with a 'v' instead of a 'w' would be preferable," she replied, and Betty nodded, glad that Veronica hadn't noticed how awkward she was feeling. She poured Veronica a drink and returned, handing it to her and leading her to the couch. Veronica sat down, and all Betty could think about was how Jughead had been sitting there first. She waited for Veronica to take a few sips before she made her enquiry.

"What's wrong, Veronica?"

"It's Reggie."

"What about him?"

"Well, we were at dinner. And it was this extra fancy restaurant, so I naturally began wondering if I had forgotten our anniversary or something like that and then, right before dessert, guess what he told me?"

"That he needs to get you new tablecloths?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood, although she already knew the answer to the question.

"I fucking wish. No, he told me he loved me. He literally sat me down and said the words "I love you, Veronica Lodge" to me. And what's worse? He ruined dessert for me!"

"Oh god. What did you say?"

"Well I started laughing because I thought he was doing that thing we do where we imitate couples who are legit and not just flings. But he didn't start laughing and I realised he was serious so I freaked out and ran away. I ran ten blocks in heels to get back here. It's a miracle I didn't break them."

"Wait, you left him there? In the restaurant? After he told you he was in love with you?"

"I know, I feel awful! I started feeling terrible somewhere around the eighth block, but I was already eighty percent home at that point so I decided to come here."

"Jesus Christ. Well, are you sure?" Betty asked and Veronica frowned.

"Sure about what?"

"That you don't – you know – feel the same way? I mean, you guys have been together for six months and most people consider that a relationship, not a fling."

"Well Reggie and I aren't most people. And, in any case, we broke up so many times. I mean, it's weird that you'd even think it was anything more than a fling. It's crazy that he'd think that! He's part of the fling!"

"I'm just saying, Ronnie. Sometimes things happen without people meaning for them to happen. Reggie falling in love with you is just one of those things. And obviously it's okay that you don't feel the same way, but maybe you will with time? I mean, these things do take time anyway, and-"

"I slept with Archie!" Veronica exclaimed, and Betty stopped speaking, shell-shocked at this information. She stared at Veronica in astonishment. "Say something, B," her best friend prodded, and Betty blinked a couple of times before responding.

"Um, when?"

"The day before he left."

That explained why she was suddenly so okay with him leaving. It also explained why she had insisted on taking his bags down to the cab.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Betty asked, after another long pause. Veronica shrugged in response.

"I didn't know how. I mean, I especially didn't know how to tell you. After everything you've been through with him, I felt terrible that it happened. But it did, and I-"

"So, what? Are you guys together now?" She interrupted, not caring for Veronica's rambles.

"I don't know."

"Well, do you want to date Archie?"

"I don't know."

"Do you love him?"

"I wonder if you can guess what my answer will be," Veronica said and Betty shook her head. She felt strangely okay with the whole situation. What irked her was the lying. She had spoken to Archie extensively before he had left and had definitely spoken to Veronica almost every day since. And yet both of them had decided to lie to her. She knew for a fact that if she had done something similar, she would have received the silent treatment for at least a week. "Are you okay?"

"I need to leave," Betty said, glancing at the card on the coffee table.

"What? Betty, I'm sorry for hiding this from you but you don't need to move away because of it. I swear it won't be weird, okay?"

"This isn't about you, V. I just – I need to leave, okay? And to leave I need to pack, so I need you to leave so that I can pack," she said, going into her room and getting a duffel bag out.

"But, wait. What should I do about Reggie?" She heard Veronica ask from the doorway, her voice filled with hurt and confusion. Betty melted a little at the tone and gave her a small smile.

"What you should have done ages ago: you need to break up with him," she advised. After all, it was evident that Veronica liked Archie with much more depth than she had ever liked Reggie. Veronica nodded, turning around before facing Betty again.

"By the way, Betty, I believe congratulations are in order."

"For what?"

"A certain Mr. Jones," she replied with a slight smile. Betty felt her stomach do a somersault at "Mr. Jones" but managed a smile in return. She waited until she heard the lock on her front door click into place. Once she heard that, she stopped packing, leaning against the wall, trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened in one night.

How and when she made the decision to go to Jughead's flat, Betty would never be able to tell. All she knew was she was standing outside his window on the fire escape, rapping on the glass until he came out of his room. He frowned when he saw her and pushed open the window.

"Hey," he said and she gave him an apologetic smile, crouching down so he didn't need to crane his neck to look at her.

"Hi."

"What's up?"

"Can I ask you for a huge favour? You can say no."

"Shoot."

"Will you come to Boston with me?" She asked and saw his frown disappear into a furrowed brow of confusion at this proposition.

"What? When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

"I know it's incredibly short notice-"

"I'll say!"

"-but I just… I need to get out of this town for a while. It's too small and I need to see her. The holiday season is a time to be with family and Polly is my family. You helped me find her so it's only fitting that you should come with. Of course, if you have better, more appealing plans, you don't have to and I will definitely respect your decision. But I just – I need some of that moral support right about now," she rambled softly. He stared at her for a moment before sighing, his shoulders sagging – she had won.

"Yes, yes of course I'll be there. I just have to make a call," he said, and Betty grinned.

"Thank you so much, Jug! I'll see you in the morning around nine, then?"

"Nine it is," he agreed, and she nodded, wishing him goodnight and going back upstairs to finish packing.

Boston; Polly, here I come.


	10. Chapter 10

**Line break means a change in POV.**

* * *

At nine, on the dot, Jughead heard his doorbell ring and smiled to himself – of course today she was punctual. He glanced through the peephole and saw her standing there in a pink t-shirt and blue jacket, her hair pulled back into its signature ponytail. He opened the door and she smiled at him.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, and she rolled her eyes but continued smiling.

"Yes, yes, good morning. But are you ready to leave?"

"I will be in a minute. Just have to pack a few final things. Come in," he said, leaving the door open as he retreated to his room to get his backpack. Once he was done, he came out and saw Betty literally sitting on the edge of her seat. "Did you have something to eat?"

"I had coffee," she said, waving a hand as if food and sustenance were suddenly trivial things, needed only by lesser humans.

"You need to eat something, Betty," he said, deciding to make some toast and scramble some eggs.

"No, I need to see my sister."

"It's going to be a long ride."

"I'll be fine," she said, moving from the couch to the breakfast bar. Jughead had flashbacks to Jellybean refusing to eat as a kid and only agreeing to eat when she saw him eat. He had been forced to use the tactic multiple times irrespective of whether he had already eaten.

"Okay, great, but I won't be, so I'm going to eat something," he said, in spite of having already eaten. He considered it a boon that he was capable of eating endlessly.

"Jughead, we agreed on nine," she groaned from behind the counter but he ignored it, humming Let It Snow as he put bread in the toaster and made the eggs. "And it's even worse that you're humming that god awful song!"

He put the plate down before her and, on cue, her stomach growled. She glanced down at it, her face turning red with embarrassment as she refused to meet his eye.

"You know, I could always just make you some breakfast really quickly," he said and she scowled. Luckily, it seemed her hunger won over her pride because she nodded.

"Okay."

"Okay…?"

"Okay I'll have some breakfast," she muttered before Jughead could take his first bite. He grinned and nudged the plate in her direction.

"Good, because I've already eaten."

They ended up leaving at half past ten, with Betty in the driver's seat so that they'd go faster than they otherwise would have. However, as Jughead would soon find out, Betty gave a new meaning to driving slower than a grandmother. This resulted in an argument (which Betty tried to win by claiming that Jughead was stereotyping elderly women) which ended with Jughead behind the wheel.

"So, you nervous?" He broke the hour of silence they had fallen into. He heard her inhale deeply at the question and exhale with equal vigour.

"A little bit," she claimed, but he could hear her nail tapping the back of her phone continuously. "I mean, sure I'm seeing Polly after five years, but that doesn't mean anything has to change, right? She's still my sister. My beautiful, fun-loving, incredible sister. And she will be happy to see me. Well, I hope she'll be happy to see me."

"I thought you said she wanted to see you."

"Yeah but that was over the phone. People can be very different in real life, you know. My sister is no exception. Especially since she gave up being daddy's little girl at around ten, much to my parents' dismay."

"Ah. So that's when you had to step up?"

"And be Miss Perfect? Exactly," Betty agreed with a laugh. "Yeah, Polly did it all. She was on the cheerleading squad – against my mother's wishes – and she dated anyone and everyone and was genuinely popular and well-liked."

"She sounds great."

"She was. Is. Sorry, I'm not used to speaking about her in present tense."

"No, it's fine, I get it," he quickly said, to assuage her evident guilt. She looked at him for a few moments – studying it, it seemed – before allowing a small smile and looking away. They fell back into silence. This was the kind of silence that led to people being consumed by thoughts. In Jughead's case, his mind went back to the previous night – it was still bizarre that so much had happened in less than a day. When he shut his eyes, he could still feel her phantom breath on his lips and hear the loud banging, interrupting what could be something he had been anticipating for too long.

 _"You better not be calling to cancel plans already," Jellybean warned over the phone and Jughead scratched the back of his neck, out of habit._

 _"I'm really sorry, JB. It's just, something came up."_

 _"Something more important than seeing your sister for the first time in too long?"_

 _"I'll buy you the most incredible Christmas gift, I swear!"_

 _"I expect nothing less considering you're ditching me for that Cooper girl," she name dropped in the most nonchalant way, Jughead nearly dropped his phone. It was weird how clumsy he seemed to get whenever someone mentioned Betty. After careful pondering, he had come to the conclusion that he was clumsy when she was mentioned to get it out of system so he wouldn't drop everything around her._

 _"That's not—" he began defensively._

 _"Don't even try. Just promise me something, okay?" Jellybean interrupted in her professional, manager, no-bullshit tone. "You waited three years last time. Three years too long. Promise me you won't make the same mistake twice."_

 _"Jellybean—"_

 _"Promise."_

 _"I promise I'll try," he said his resolution out loud – he had been living by it so far. Three years was far too long to be in unrequited love with someone._

"Betty?" He finally said, needing to figure it out.

"Hmm?" She replied, sleepily. He didn't have to look at her to know she was dozing off.

"Nothing. Go to sleep," he breathed out, relieved that confrontation wasn't going to happen immediately. He saw her shift in her seat as she got comfortable and ready to sleep.

 _But then again, there's no time like the present._

"Betty?" He questioned again and she groaned in response.

"What?"

"I wanted to ask you about last night," the second the words left his tongue – as reluctantly as they did – she sat up, suddenly much more awake than she had been a minute ago.

"Right. I wanted to talk about that, actually. I'm really sorry I kicked you out like that, Jughead. I mean, Veronica was all upset and there was so much happening, I'm just, I'm sorry," she said quickly, but Jughead hadn't been referring to that aspect of the evening. And he suspected that she knew exactly what she had been referring to.

"Betty, that's-"

"Awful? Horrendous? Absolutely the opposite of hospitable? I agree!" Once again, she spoke with the haste of avoidance. Jughead sighed and, after a beat, gave her a smile.

"- alright," he finished and she gave him a smile of gratitude. "What did Veronica want anyway?" Instantly her face hardened, any trace of a smile vanishing as she crossed her arms over her stomach defensively.

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep," she announced and turned away from him. This sparked Jughead's curiosity further but he knew better than to push right now. After all, whatever had happened between Betty and Veronica was the reason they were going on a road trip now. He supposed he should just thank his lucky stars for the timing of it all.

* * *

Betty couldn't sleep.

But even pretending to sleep for nearly an hour was easier than having to deal with confrontation about the night before. After all, she wasn't born yesterday – she knew what Jughead was referring to when he mentioned the night before. And all it did was bring back what Veronica was saying about them being together.

She didn't blame Veronica for thinking what she had. That woman, for all her faults, was observant as hell.

Thinking about Veronica brought with it another flurry of confused emotions of jarring colours. Betty still wasn't sure how she felt about the whole Veronica–Archie situation. She wasn't reacting really as negatively as she would have a year ago. Or as negatively as she had when Veronica and Archie had stumbled out of that closet at Cheryl's party. In fact, it was her lack of minding that was completely messing with her mind. This wasn't how it was supposed to be – she was supposed to play the part of the jealous in-love-with-best-friend girl. She had played the part so many times in the past it seemed like a natural response at this point.

The lack of it left her hollow. Hollow and confused.

 _That's a tagline for a business card if I ever heard one._

And all these emotions were just further confused when she thought of the events preceding Veronica barging in. She wondered how far things would have gone, trying to repress all these thoughts - deciding that it was too high school for her.

"Betty?" She heard Jughead whisper after an hour of pretending. Blearily she opened one eye, trying to fake the sleepiness to the best of her ability. "We're here."

On a scale of One to Absolute Dread, Betty was way past Absolute Dread. Her stomach churned with nerves as she stared at the house they had pulled up beside.

"Your sister's got a nice place," Jughead said, evidently trying to make the situation less tense.

"Yeah. Apparently a lot can change in five years," she replied, frozen in place. Without warning, Jughead opened his door, making her jump.

"Well, let's go, then," he said, walking over and opening the door for her. She stared at the door.

"What? Now?" She asked, hearing the stupidity the second it came out. He chuckled in response.

"No, Betty, next year. Preferably now, yes."

"Right. Of course," she said, reluctantly getting out. She hadn't been this nervous when trying to get into college. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous. Taking hesitant steps to the front door, she felt Jughead close behind her. Her fingers itched to reach behind for his, for comfort, assurance, anything. But, simultaneously, she didn't want to do anything which could be construed for something it wasn't. Instead, she chose to take in the house before her.

It was a big house. Well, big considering the last time Betty had seen her sister, Polly had been a single mother of two with no steady income (the latter of which led to her staying with their parents). It was like a house from a fairytale, with a mesh of vines on the porch fence. If she stood at the beginning of the path to the house, Betty could see plants hanging from the overhead balcony, pink flowers dotting the green stems. The lawn was mowed and smelled fresh and Betty could see trees lining the path to the backyard.

"You okay?" She heard Jughead murmur behind her, and with a deep inhale and a forceful exhale, she began nodding, her head moving faster as her resolve strengthened. "Your head's going to fall off if it goes any faster," he chuckled behind her, bringing a smile to her face. She suddenly felt a rush of gratitude at him being here.

"Let's do this," she said more to herself than him and felt his hand brush her back. It was weird how, with the slightest touch, she already felt more supported by him than Archie.

Archie. Archie and Veronica. _Association's a bitch._

They walked down the picturesque path to the front door. The door even had a knocker (even though Betty preferred the bell), which she caught Jughead marveling at. They waited for a few seconds but the door didn't open. She glanced at Jughead – if Polly didn't open now, she wasn't sure she'd have the stomach to come back for round two. He seemed to understand as he stepped a little closer to her. Raising her hand, her finger was on the button when the speaker beside the bell came alive.

"Who's there?" She heard Polly's voice and, as a reflex, Betty felt her eyes fill with tears, a grin appearing on her face. She laughed, not knowing what was filling her heart but it was something akin to the most intense happiness Betty had ever had the pleasure of feeling.

"It's me," she said into the mic and, a few seconds later, heard the door being unlocked. It opened slowly to reveal Polly Cooper. Sure, she was wearing a stained sweatshirt, her hair was a mess, and her yoga pants were big enough to trail the ground around her red and green socks. But it was still her.

Betty had never understood what not believing your eyes meant until this moment.

Polly grabbed Betty's arm, an equal look of disbelief on her face before it melted into a smile.

"You're real," she breathed and threw her arms around Betty, pulling her into the tightest hug Betty could ever remember. Burrowing her face into her sister's neck, Betty held her close too, taking in the scent of flowers and powder – two quintessentially Polly smells. Pulling up her head, she saw Jughead step away out of the corner of her eye and, dropping one hand, reached behind her and held his, squeezing it once – asking him to stay. He smiled at her and she let go as Polly pulled away. "How did you find me?" She finally managed to get out after reining in the tears.

"I had some help," Betty said, smiling at Jughead. Polly's eyes widened as if she was only just realising that Jughead was there.

"And who is help?"

"Polly, meet Jughead Jones. He's the newest addition to our little Riverdale family. Jughead, this is my sister."

"I gathered," Jughead said, smiling and holding out his hand. Polly took it, shaking it harder than their mother would have approved of.

"Very nice to meet you. Come in. Betty, I want to hear everything that's going on with you!" Polly said, grinning and pushing open the door wider to let them in.

Betty's breath was taken away.

Quaint had never been a more appropriate word than it was when she entered Polly's house. It was small on the inside, with furniture packed together and a warm fire crackling in the living room. A Christmas tree stood in a corner, lit up and with presents decorating its base. She took a seat on the couch, smiling with a twang of sadness as she looked around.

"It's not much, I know. But, hey, it's home," Polly said, clearing up the books lying around.

"It's beautiful, Pol," Betty assured and her sister shot her a smile, moving slower when she put the books away. Jughead, who was sitting beside her, was busy fiddling with his phone.

"Hey, um, the signal sucks here so I'm just going to step outside for a bit. You'll be okay?" He asked Betty and she chuckled at his concern.

"I promise I won't eat the furniture, Jughead."

"Well as long as my biggest fear doesn't come true," he grinned and excused himself. Polly replaced him, pulling up her legs and grinning at Betty, waiting expectantly for something – Betty wasn't exactly sure what. So she resolved to giving back the same grin.

"So?"

"So…?"

"So what's up! I mean, this is the first time I've seen you in five years – I want to know everything!" Polly said and Betty's eyebrows rose.

"Everything that's happened to me in five years? Not much. I mean, I'm sure it's not nearly as exciting as what's been happening to you, what with the kids and all. Where are they, by the way?"

"Juniper and Jasper are… with their grandparents," Polly hesitated and, if Betty had been drinking something, she would have spit it out.

"They're with mom and dad?"

"… Not exactly."

"Wait," Betty could feel the dread seeping into her veins, "don't tell me… they're with the Blossoms? But… why?"

"Betty, I appreciate your concern, but Penelope and Clifford insisted that they get to see the kids on Christmas Eve. And it's just once a year, so I figured no harm, no foul, right?"

"Sure," Betty said hesitantly. She knew that after all these years, she had no right to dictate how Polly should raise her kids. "So, how are things with you otherwise?"

"Things are good! I have a steady job as a stats analyst for a company and Jason has some huge job that needs a lot of travel, so that's how we're paying for the house," she said and then froze, realising what she had just said. Betty couldn't believe that there was still something that could surprise her.

"Polly… who's Jason?"

"You know: Jason. Cheryl's brother," she said the latter in a smaller, softer voice. Betty wasn't sure her eyes could go wider than they already had.

"Jason's here too?"

"Well he is their dad."

"Polly, you do know everyone back home has been looking for him since high school ended, right?"

"Oh please. The only person truly worried was Cheryl and Jason's already contacted her. They've been meeting regularly. Everyone who matters knows he's alive," she waved her hand, dismissing the subject just as Betty opened her mouth to object to the callousness of the situation. "Now, enough about me and my boring, secluded life. Tell me about yours!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement and Betty found herself giving in. After all, especially after the arrival of a certain someone, her life had suddenly become very eventful.

"What do you want to know?" She gave a resigned sigh and asked.

"Everything! How's the town? How's your job? How are mom and dad? And, most importantly, does that gorgeous new piece of meat mean that you are, at long last, over a certain Mr. Andrews?" Polly rattled off as if she had had the list ready forever. Betty decided to go in order of the questions.

"The town's fine. Veronica's sort of taken over the planning of any town event. Except, now that Cheryl's back, Veronica is being routinely upstaged. The job's good, too. I mean, I quit the Register – one of the best decisions I've ever made – and now I'm working for Reggie."

"Mantle?"

"The very same. I'm – wait for it – the best assistant he's ever had," she said and watched her sister purse her lips distastefully at the title. "Don't worry, I feel the same way. I hope the place burns down again then maybe I can build it up. Anyway, mom and dad are good too, I think. I've seen mom more than dad because she sometimes helps Veronica plan stuff and I ran into her at Pop's a few times. We hardly speak since you left, and after I quit the Register, contact cut off altogether. Now it's been reduced to chance meetings. But I know they miss you very much, Polly. Mom asks about you all the time," Betty said, taking her sister's hands with a smile. Polly flushed, looking away.

"It's not like I don't miss them, you know. I just needed to get out of that house. It was a toxic hellzone, Betty. I couldn't stay there."

"I know, Pol," she said, squeezing her hands once before dropping them. Polly gave her a sad smile before shifting in her seat, her expression shifting to one of mischief simultaneously.

"So, who is Jughead Jones?" Polly asked and Betty instantly felt awkward and very aware of her cheeks flushing.

"Jughead is… no one, really. I mean, he's a writer – you remember FP Jones the Third?"

"Wait, you don't mean… he's _the_ FP Jones? The one you went through a phase for? Didn't you own every book?"

"Yeah. How times have changed, right?"

"They really have," Polly agreed, eyeing her curiously. Betty didn't enjoy this scrutinization.

"So, how's everyone else at home? Archie? Veronica?"

 _Archie and Veronica. There's a combination of people._

"They're all fine, I guess. Nothing new there."

"And how are you and Archie?"

"We're fine… we're friends," she hoped Polly didn't need her to spell it out. Evidently, distance had not made her sister any less perceptive to her subtextual clues because Polly's eyebrows raised as a smile of what Betty could only believe was pride turned her lips.

"Friends. So, the pining is over then?"

"Well, I figured it was about time," she admitted – she hadn't given Archie much thought in the last few months, if she was being honest. Ever since Veronica's party, she had found herself going farther and farther away from any romantic notions that may have once accompanied Archie Andrews' name. In fact, one night, in a rare moment of clarity, she had even come to the conclusion that she had never been in love with Archie. At least, not the kind of love she had always wanted – she didn't see fireworks or feel like her eyes were sparkling. Instead, in her mind, Archie and her going from childhood best friends to dating to spending their lives together had become a fixed logical progression of events. It was the place Archie had occupied in her future that made it so hard to let go of him.

 _Except it wasn't really hard once you got the help needed to realise otherwise._

"And I suppose Jughead Jones had nothing to do with this enlightenment?"

"Oh shut up. Jughead helped, but I would have come to the conclusion on my own in time, anyway."

"Sure you would have."

"I don't care for that tone," Betty said, rolling her eyes as Polly laughed.

"Oh god, look at me, not offering anything. Can I get you something? Water? Coffee? Juice? Something to eat?" Polly suddenly said, standing up. Betty laughed and shook her head to tell her that the hospitality – or, as Polly seemed to believe, the lack thereof – was alright.

"I'll just have some water, thanks," she replied before going to the glass door leading to the backyard to ask Jughead if he wanted something. As she approached, she could tell that he was in a heated discussion with someone. His brow was furrowed and he was furiously speaking, occasionally looking to the sky with an incredulous smile on his face. She opened the door and he looked up, hearing it slide. Instantly the frown melted away into a smile.

"Hi, sorry. I just wanted to ask – do you want some water or juice or something?"

"Juice would be fantastic, thanks," he replied. "No I wasn't talking to you, why in the world would I be asking you for juice?" He switched to the person on the phone. Betty nodded and turned to leave when he asked her to wait. "I'm not going to – you know what? Fine. I can't believe she… nothing. Fine, yeah. Well don't celebrate too hard you may break your back. Yeah, okay. Yeah, see you, bye," he finished and hung up.

"Who was that?" Betty asked as he walked into the house with her.

"No one. So, how's your sister?" He changed the subject swiftly and without missing a beat. Betty found herself suddenly curious about the person on the other end of the line.

"She's fine, I think. I mean, even though it's been five years, it's as if nothing's changed," she said, still not sure whether or not that was a good thing. Jughead nodded, his unsure smile betraying the same feelings she had. It was then that Polly walked out, carrying a jug of juice and a water bottle, with two glasses, on a tray.

"Ah, Jughead, you've decided to join us," she commented, giving him a smile and setting the tray down on the coffee table.

"Yes, well, I had to meet the famous sister at some point, didn't I?" He replied, pouring himself some juice. Betty smiled at him – his flattery had already begun.

"Famous, you say? From what I hear, I'm not nearly as famous as you are," Polly leaned back on the couch, hugging her mug of coffee close to herself. Jughead shot Betty a look of disbelief, as if asking why on earth she would mention the author thing. Betty simply shrugged, choosing to sip her water as a strategic maneuver to allow Jughead to stew in his discomfort.

"And yet we've talked about you far more than we've talked about me," he flashed Polly a smile and she chuckled.

"Fair enough."

The rest of the afternoon was whiled away in frivolous conversation about nothing in particular. Betty learned more about Polly's job and Polly learned more about Jughead's. She got caught up on all things Riverdale and Betty found out about Saturday being the day for family outings. They ended up having a late lunch at Polly's house since, just as the plates were being put away, the clock struck five. Polly glanced up and, for a moment, Betty saw lines of worry crease her forehead before she smiled back at them.

"Betty, can you help with the dishes, please?" She asked nicely enough but Betty could sense the ulterior motive. She nodded, telling Jughead to keep himself busy before following her sister into the kitchen. The second she stepped into the kitchen, Polly shut the door behind her. "Okay, you guys need to leave." And there it was.

"What?" Betty didn't mind being kicked out but she had hoped it would be done in a more subtle way. She supposed she must have sounded more hurt than confused because Polly's face melted.

"I'm really sorry – that was rude. Okay, so it's five, which means Jason's going to be back in half an hour. He's going to bring the twins too and I just, I don't think they're ready to see you, yet. Definitely not Jughead but they're not ready to see you. Hell, I wasn't ready to see you either. It's going to be too much of a shock for them, Betty.

"Listen, why don't you come for lunch tomorrow – bring Jughead, too – and then we can have proper introductions instead of meeting like this. I mean, you have to admit, it was kinda creepy that after all the PIs mom and dad sent to find me, Jughead's found me with relative ease. So we can figure out a story, like maybe I invited you and you and Jughead are dating so you brought him with you. Something like that. Is that okay? I'm really sorry," she finished and Betty sighed – she understood where Polly was coming from. After all, if someone she hadn't informed simply showed up at her house, she would probably freak out too. And lord knows she was probably less ready than Jason to see him. The previous high of seeing her niece and nephew had worn off too. Now she wasn't sure she was ready to see them either. So she nodded, a smile of understanding curving her lips as she watched her sister visibly relax.

 _Now to explain this to Jughead._

Turns out, when she walked out and announced to Jughead that they were leaving, he readily sprung to his feet to leave. It was almost too enthusiastic for her liking. But, choosing to be grateful for the lack of interrogation, she simply walked out with him. They said goodbye to Polly at the gate and then got into the car, with Betty in the driver's seat. She drove them to the corner of the street and turned out of view from Polly before stopping the car. Jughead looked at her curiously.

"Betty?"

"Yeah?"

"We've stopped."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have incredible observation skills?"

"Allow me to rephrase: _why_ have we stopped? I thought we were going back to Riverdale."

"Why would we go back to Riverdale when we're coming back to Polly's for lunch tomorrow? It just makes more sense to stay in Boston, don't you think?" She asked, giving him a smile.

"We're what?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention – I signed you up for lunch at Polly's tomorrow," she said, and he stared at her in silence. "Jughead, are you okay?"

"You didn't even check to see if I had plans?" The animosity in his tone surprised her – she hadn't even considered the possibility that he might have had plans. After all, when he told her that he was willing to come on Christmas Eve, she simply assumed that Christmas remained devoid of events too. "Or did you and your sister simply assume that I would remain at your beck and call? Because apparently that's all I'm good for."

"Jughead, I'm – I'm sorry," she stuttered out. "If you need to go, that's fine. Take the car and go back. I'll find somewhere to stay in Boston. I never intended to – to force you to stay here," she said in a small voice. There had been something off about the way he had been acting after the phone call but she hadn't wanted to pry. Now she found herself desperate to do so, simply to know if it explained his behaviour. She watched his face soften at her tone and felt a little relieved.

"No, Betty, I'm sorry. It's not you – I'm just displacing anger. Of course I'll come to Christmas lunch. It's the least I can do," he apologised and Betty gave him a smile, nodding.

"Well, do you any good hotels in Boston? Since we've officially lost our lodging," she asked and saw his brow furrow for a moment, internally debating something.

"I'll call Jellybean and ask," he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Betty tapped a finger impatiently on the steering wheel as she listened to the faint dial tone emanating from his phone. It cut off when someone picked up and, to Betty's surprise, she heard a deep voice saying, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Can you check if we can stay somewhere?"

Betty couldn't make out the response and watched as Jughead conversed with the person on the other end.

"Okay, great. Yeah, bye," he hung up and smiled at Betty. "Mind switching? I've got a place." Half an hour later, Jughead was pulling up before an apartment building. Betty hadn't asked so far where they were going, but now that they were pulling up before an establishment that clearly wasn't a hotel, she was curious.

"Jughead, this isn't a hotel," she pointed out the obvious and saw his scoff.

"I know. Isn't this exciting?" He asked with a grin. But Betty could tell that he was nervous as hell about something. She wasn't sure she liked being led into unknown territory but came to conclusion that she trusted Jughead enough so they wouldn't be murdered. Taking out the bags, they went up the stairs to the third floor, where Jughead rapped twice on a door. They waited for a few moments before the door opened, revealing a man wearing a plaid shirt with faded jeans, the shadow of a beard and moustache on his face. He was slightly taller than Jughead and yet they bore an uncanny resemblance to each other. Betty, not knowing how to react, glanced at Jughead, waiting for introductions.

"Hey, dad. Long time no see, huh? Betty, this is my father – Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Second."

* * *

Jughead couldn't remember the last time he had felt such unadulterated fury towards his sister. As much as he loved Jellybean and agreed that she was the only one who stuck with him through thick and thin, when his sister told him that his dad knew they were in the same city, it sent a jolt of anger through Jughead. He had long ago decided he wanted nothing to do with the parents who refused to take care of their children – instead choosing to spend their time fighting until his mom left with his sister.

On his worse days, he would recall how he sat on the front porch, waiting for his mom to come back for him, convinced that Jellybean had only gone first because she was younger and that it was only a matter of time before he went too. She never did.

And yet, seeing Betty and her sister reconcile the way they did sent a surge of hope that maybe he could have the same with his family. After all, even though it had been a while, Jellybean had managed to claw her way back into his heart, hadn't she? Even their mother he had managed to fall back into touch with. They had been emailing each other for the past month – something even his sister didn't know. Maybe it was some remnant of a fleeting moment of happiness in the Jones' household (that he couldn't place a finger on even if a gun was held to his head) that created this wishful thinking but, when Betty told him that they didn't have a place to stay, his instinct told him to call his dad.

So here they were, standing before a man, who, apart from enduring a few more grey hairs, looked overall unchanged from the man Jughead left behind at eighteen, thankful to leave the hellhole he begrudgingly called home. He had never expected to see his father again, let alone within the same decade. And Betty looked confused about which emotion to display now that she was faced with a previous generation of Forsythe. Jughead wasn't sure yet whether or not he would regret it – he had seen Betty successfully interact with some of the most difficult people. But, simultaneously, he felt a pang of guilt at springing this on her this way.

"Mr. Jones, it's lovely to meet you," Betty was the first one to break the silence, her shock morphing into a wary smile as she extended her hand. FP glanced down at her hand and slowly, hesitantly, shook it (much to Jughead's relief).

"The pleasure's all mine. Please, come in. I didn't realise Jughead was bringing someone with him when he told me, but the more the merrier, right?"

"Yeah, well, I learned from the best," Jughead muttered, following Betty through the door and into the semi-neat apartment.

 _A woman traipsed out of the bedroom, giggling, at seven in the morning, encountering an awkward Jughead, who was trying to get through his cereal in peace. His dad followed suit, a grin on his face. Jughead didn't know how to feel – this was the first time he had seen his dad smile since mom had disappeared with Jellybean._

 _"Oh," the woman said, coming to a stop when she saw Jughead, her smile disappearing. "I didn't know you had a kid, FP."_

 _"There's a lot of things you don't know about me. How about we keep it that way?"_

 _"In that case I better be going," she said, her smile returning as her curiosity perked up._

 _"You can stay for breakfast. After all, the more the merrier, right?"_

Jughead could feel his cheeks flare at the sight of the house. After Polly's neat, picturesque home, his father's flat looked like a dump. He glanced at Betty, trying to read her expression – to see if she felt the way he did. To his father's credit, he seemed to be equally embarrassed by the mess, quickly shifting things and creating space to sit.

"It's not much, I know-"

"It's beautiful, Mr. Jones," Betty interrupted, with a smile. He returned the smile, his face flushing slightly at the compliment.

"You don't have to-"

"No, I'm serious! I mean look at all this space. You could put three bookshelves in here easily. And the balcony is simply amazing – you don't get a lot of places with such large balconies today. You really lucked out with this flat, Mr. Jones," she continued, and Jughead felt a surge of gratitude towards her. FP's face retained the previous flush as he disappeared into the kitchen to see if he could get any snacks or anything (despite Betty's refusal in respect to the late lunch). Once he was out of earshot, she turned to Jughead, all traces of a smile vanishing.

"Okay, you have about sixty seconds to explain."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where we were going, but you have your confrontations and I have mine, Betty Cooper. When I went to take a call in your sister's backyard, it was Jellybean calling to tell me that my dad knew we were in the same city. And then, as soon as I hung up with her, dad called and I just… seeing the way you were with Polly, I thought maybe reconciliation could be in the cards for me too," he admitted as quickly as he could, hoping he was staying within the time frame. Betty's eyes softened at the explanation and she opened her mouth to respond just as his father came back into the living room. Instead, she took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before taking a seat and continuing conversation with FP Jones.

It was weird watching his dad speak to Betty.

This was the first time he had seen his dad respect someone to this extent. Hell, even when they had gone to the Harper Lee meet (after a lot of straight up begging on Jughead's part), his dad had made sure to make it known to everyone there that To Kill A Mockingbird had nothing on the obscure, terrible book that he was attempting to read at the time. And yet, seated before Betty, he almost made Jughead proud with politeness. After getting pleasantries and jobs out of the way (like most confrontation, FP Jones skillfully avoided the "job" question), Betty threw a smile in Jughead's direction, a glint in her eye.

"So, Mr. Jones, I have to ask – was Jughead always the brooding loner he is today?"  
Jughead nearly spat out his drink.

FP, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head, settling back into the chair – Jughead was familiar with this move. He called it the time-to-tell-a-story maneuver.

"Well, if you must know, he didn't always brood. But yeah, while all the other kids were playing, Jug was off doing lord knows what somewhere. But we knew he was a smart kid and always respected curfew. Of course the other parents thought he was weird but Jug just needed Jellybean and vice versa."

"You moped around even as a six year old?" Betty turned to him, incredulity colouring her tone. Jughead forced a smile out of his embarrassment.

"I'm told I was an old soul," he replied, and Betty laughed.

"Yeah, his mom used to call him that," FP smiled reminiscently, and Jughead started feeling the anger at the mention of his mother seeping back into his veins. Luckily, that was when his father glanced at his watch and jumped to his feet.

"Dammit! I'm really sorry, but I have to be somewhere. It's just – I wasn't expecting company so I arranged a business meeting which I'm already late for."

"Oh, that's no problem," Betty sprung to her feet too, "we should have – we'll get out of your hair. It was rude to come without informing, anyway."

"You guys got a place in Boston?" He asked and they exchanged an awkward glance.

"We can figure something out," Jughead quickly responded and Betty nodded, smiling, satisfied with this reply. FP, on the other hand, seemed in complete shock at this response, as if Jughead had had the audacity to disrespect him under his roof.

"You guys don't have a place to stay? Is this how I raised you?" He exclaimed, referring the second question to Jughead. Jughead had to bite back saying that he had to raise himself.

"Well, I assumed we were going to-"

"I don't care. You know what, Betty? I'm so sorry about my son's incompetence, and the two of you are welcome to spend the night here. There's dinner in the fridge if you're hungry, but I really have to run. I'll see you guys later?"

"We'd love to spend the night, Mr. Jones. Thank you so much," Betty prevented Jughead from protesting the proposition. Jughead looked at her incredulously and she raised an eyebrow, daring him to disagree. He didn't realise that a simple crush meant crumbling whenever she raised an eyebrow and found himself sighing and nodding. FP's face broke out into a grin when she accepted the invitation and, grabbing his bag, he left. Silence fell in the small flat and Jughead, instinctively scratching the back of his neck and adjusting his beanie at the awkwardness, went back and sat on the couch, with Betty following suit. They were definitely alone.

"There's only one bedroom," Betty broke the silence, confusing Jughead.

"Good observation skills?"

"There's only one bedroom – your dad's. One of us will take the couch, but where's the other going to sleep?" She elaborated, rolling her eyes at his unwarranted sarcasm. Jughead realised their dilemma and quickly shook his head.

"I can sleep on the floor or something. You can take the couch."

"How very chivalrous of you," Betty commented, giving him an amused smile. He returned the smile and, with that, they fell back into the previous silence.

"So, things went well with Polly," Jughead commented after a minute of the suffocating silence. Betty was deep in thought about something else, though. "Betts?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Great. I'm sorry she kicked us out like that, though. I mean, my mother would be very disappointed in her. But she made a very good point y'know?"

"Yeah? What was her justification for kicking you out after seeing you for the first time in five years?"

"Jason."

"Like… Blossom?" Jughead had heard a ton about the infamous Jason Blossom. He had heard a chunk of it when Archie had met him in France but even since, Jason was occasionally name-dropped in conversation and would manage to stall the conversation for a few seconds as everyone was collectively uncomfortable with his name. As far as he knew, Jason had got Polly pregnant and they had planned to run away together. However, while Jason did, Polly was stopped by the Coopers and put into a home of sorts. She eventually had the kids and then the grandchildren were taken back with Polly into the Cooper household. Jason's whereabouts, however, remained unknown and, after two years, the Blossoms stopped looking.

"The very same," she replied, nodding.

"And how do you feel about that?" He didn't know how to adequately respond to the information. She gave a laugh.

"Starting to sound like my therapist there," she commented and Jughead was hit by the fact that he didn't know Betty was in therapy. He was also struck by how Polly was the only important aspect of her life he actually knew about. However, deciding this wasn't the time or place to bring it up, he simply mirrored her laugh, averting his gaze to the floor. "Um, I don't know. I'd like to think that if she's happy, I'm happy? But he also got her pregnant at such a young age. But at the same time, her kids made her really happy so… I don't know how I feel about Jason being back. My parents however, if they found out about this, they'd go fucking crazy." He laughed at her candour.

"Hey, if it's any consolation, we're all crazy," he said, smiling at her. She scoffed and looked away and Jughead realised that, less than twenty four hours ago, they had been on the same position, on a different couch, discussing the same person. He wondered again if he should bring it up, the internal battle reappearing between his want and fear of confrontation.

 _"Promise me you won't make the same mistake twice."_

Jellybean's voice rang in his ears just as Betty stood up, much to Jughead's simultaneous relief and dismay.

"I wonder what the view's like from there," she made her way to the balcony and opened the doors, the curtains swaying in the cold night breeze. She stepped out, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. "Jughead, come out here! You can see the sky," she was looking up, and Jughead walked out too. The balcony looked out to an alley and the wall of a building. However, the sky was clear and studded with stars, the moon hanging between them.

"And the opposite building. Beautiful," he commented sarcastically. She rolled her eyes at him, but her smile didn't dim. "I take it this is the first time you've seen the sky?"

"Shut up. I've just… it's been a while since I've paid so much attention," she replied, and he smiled, stepping forward so he was next to her.

"You know the deal with stars, right?" He asked, remembering something he had read online the previous week. She frowned, turning to face him.

"The deal with stars?"

"Yeah. You know, that we're made of the same stuff they are?" He said, and her frown momentarily deepened – as if to check if he was lying – before it disappeared into a soft smile.

"What? Carbon?" She asked softly and he chuckled, mirroring her volume.

"Yeah but it's much more magical to think of us being made of stardust than carbon."

"Stardust," she said it as if she was trying out the word. "That is beautiful, Jughead Jones." He smiled as she turned back to look at the sky.

"Also," he heard himself say, not having a topic in mind to talk about.

"What?" She asked, not turning to face him. He hesitated, glancing down at her lips, still upturned into a slight smile of awe. The silence must have lasted too long because she turned to face him, curiosity getting the better of her. "What?" She repeated, with a slight laugh.

His hands rose, cupped her cheeks – pink from the cold – and, leaning in, he kissed her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry about how long this took but it's finally here! Line break means a change in POV.**

* * *

The night may have been cold but, in that moment, Betty felt fireworks. They were electrifying and warmed her to the core, giving her goosebumps as they streaked colour across the night sky. She knew that the second she opened her eyes they would disappear, as if they were never there, and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take. She could feel him relaxing towards her, into her palms, with each second that passed, until he broke the kiss, remaining a breath away. She felt herself smile and felt him exhale with relief. And to think, all it took for them to be where they were was a different city to get away from two other people.

"Weird," she heard herself say and wanted to hit herself. Luckily he seemed highly amused by her reaction.

"Wow. That's what you thought about our moment?" He asked, faux offence colouring his tone. She smiled at the way he called it their moment. He wasn't wrong, but there was something about calling it a moment belonging to them that made her smile widen.

"No, Jug. Our moment was very… not weird," she attempted to patch up the situation. He studied her face for a moment before his smile widened too.

"So, what was weird then?" He asked, stepping back and allowing cool air to wash over her, filling the newly created Jughead-shaped void.

"You know earlier when you asked what Veronica wanted?"

"Yeah?"

"So, she told me that… well, she had sex with Archie," she said, pressing her lips together and giving a curt nod at the end. Jughead stared at her for a few moments. "Apparently leave-Betty-in-the-dark is everyone's favourite game this Christmas," she decided to reference him bringing her to his dad's place. He seemed to realise this, his cheeks momentarily flushing as he glanced away.

"Oh," he managed at long last and Betty shook her head, now wishing she hadn't brought it up. "Um, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, and he studied her face for a moment, his brow creasing intensely with a frown of confusion.

"Then why is it weird?"

"It's weird that I'm fine with it," the admission made her feel lighter (although part of the lightheadedness was an after-effect of the kiss, she supposed). Jughead's eyes widened as realisation dawned on him. With a soft chuckle, he stepped back into the void.

"You worry too much, you know?"

Her shoulders sagged when he stepped closer and she smiled at him.

"I know. I also know I'm fucking freezing," he laughed and motioned for her to lead the way inside. Once inside, she took a seat on the couch again and he took his previous spot beside her. They sat in silence for a few moments and Betty could hear the gears turning in Jughead's head. Her own mind was churning too – she wondered what this meant for them. It was a great kiss, no doubt, and deep down she knew she didn't want it to be a one-time thing but she also wasn't sure how to move forward.

"You know," Jughead began, sending a flood of relief through her veins that he was the first to speak, "we don't have to… label anything. I mean, you said it wasn't weird, which albeit not too good a description of how I thought it was, is better than anything I was hoping for, so-"

"Did you just casually use 'albeit' in a sentence?" She asked, amusement lacing her tone. Jughead's cheeks coloured at this, but she saw his lexical fire flaring.

"I'm a writer. It's what I do."

"No need to get defensive. It's kinda… attractive," she smiled at him and watched his eyes widen at this before he smirked in response.

"Is it?"

And, once again, he was kissing her. Except this time was completely different. This time the waters had been tested and decided to be perfect. This time she felt herself leaning back into a horizontal position on the couch, Jughead on top of her. He moved from her lips to her neck, biting and sucking in quick succession as Betty struggled to regulate her breathing, trying to prevent it from becoming the quick rasp it was threatening to be. When she felt him reach her collarbone and start to go lower, her eyes flew open and she whispered, "No."

Instantly he stopped, propping himself up to make eye contact with her, gazing at her with worried eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just… not like this. I mean, we need to talk about this first. What this is, and what it means and everything," she started sitting up and saw him awkwardly get back into a sitting position too.

"Okay… talk," he said, and Betty's mind went blank. She hadn't thought of what she wanted to say. All she could remember was Jughead's lips on her skin and the fire it lit inside her.

"You go first," she prompted lamely, and he gave her a smile of amusement. She expected him to point out that she had been the one to propose talking.

"Okay," he began, and Betty had never been more grateful for her choice in men, "well, I know I like you and I hope you like me?" She nodded fervently at this, watching his face collapse into a smile of almost pure joy. "So, with these facts on the table, we can do whatever you want. The ball is entirely in your court. If you want to go slow, we can go slow as fuck. If you just want to be friends that's fine too, obviously. No hard feelings, no obligations."

"No hard feelings, no obligations," she echoed, enjoying the sound of these words and the freedom with which they came. She had never been allowed to define the relationship. In all her past relationships, if the word girlfriend was thrown her way, she simply allowed it to hit her in all its force, not bothering to fight it. In fact, Betty had learnt to accept labels a long time ago, only fighting the "perfect" one when she finally made the wise decision to quit the Register.

" _If you leave, Elizabeth, I promise you – you'll never find work again. You're not qualified for anything. You think nepotism is a joke? It's the only reason you have such a high standing here. Leave me – us – and you're going to lose it_ all. _"_

" _No offence,_ Mom _, but I'm better than nepotism."_

" _Careful Elizabeth. You're only perfect within these walls. The outside world will thrive on making you aware of your imperfections."_

" _Mom, my entire life I've been doing everything for you and dad. Everything to be_ perfect _. This is the one thing I have to do for me."_

 _She walked out and didn't hear from her parents again._

"Like I said, we don't have to label anything. If you'd rather be together without… being together, as it were, that's perfectly fine too. Whatever you want, Betts," he finished, and she smiled at him. Slowly, she leaned over and kissed him gently.

"Thank you."

* * *

Jughead awoke with a terrible pain in his neck. He knew sleeping on the couch was going to be painful, but he had never expected it to be _this_ level of painful. His entire body was rebelling against changing position, yet Jughead had never wanted to move less. In his mind, he was replaying last night over and over again; it was, by far, the best first kiss he had ever managed. Never had he imagined something as dramatic as that. He supposed he was lucky she reciprocated or else the night could have gone much differently.

He closed his eyes without the intention of going to sleep.

His phantom senses still remembered everything about her – the softness of her hair, the cool air seeming just out of reach in the literal heat of the moment, the way her hands delicately touched his face. He felt his smile widen and his heart grow. He wished the moment had never ended.

" _No hard feelings. No obligations."_

Jughead had never been one for labels. In fact, the only label he wore with pride was loner, and even then, it was ironic – he knew he wasn't short on company if he so desired it. And yet, in spite of this aversion, he had felt somewhat uncomfortable saying the words. He reasoned it out by deciding that, at the end of the day, how he felt about her was all that truly mattered and such words were temporary. After all, one glance at her, and he could tell that serious versus frivolous was a hard decision so he decided to allow leeway. He just hoped she wouldn't need it for too long.

With these thoughts in mind, and logical reasoning (as he liked to think it was) winning over emotional battle, he willed himself into a sitting position, feeling every muscle in his body ache as he did. However, he soon forgot his pain when he spotted his father standing in the kitchen doorway, watching him.

"Hey. When did you get home?" He asked, reaching to his neck to massage the knots that had managed to wedge themselves between shoulder blades.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Jug," he replied with amusement flitting across his face. Jughead gave an obligatory nod, wishing him without words. "I got back about an hour ago. And imagine my surprise when I find both the couch _and_ the bed taken!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Betty was tired and said she was going to take a nap," he mumbled a rambling apology, finding himself met with further amusement.

"It's fine. So I take it things didn't go well last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"From what Jellybean told me there was definitely something going on between you two, and last night I saw it for myself. I just assumed that-"

"You've been talking to Jellybean about me and Betty?" He was suddenly very awake and fully aware of how uncomfortable and conscious his father had suddenly become. In true Jones family fashion, FP scratched the back of his neck when in discomfort while choosing to evade eye contact at all costs.

"It may have come up. Honestly, she didn't tell me much. She just told me about you finding her sister. Speaking of," he hastened his speech before Jughead could interrupt again, "does she know?"

"Does who know?"

"Betty. Does she know?"

"Know what?"

"How you found her sister?" FP asked, his eyes shining with prior knowledge. Jughead maintained eye contact for a few seconds, figuring out how to tackle this question.

"It doesn't matter," he finally settled on, "What matters is that Betty knows where her sister is." FP eyed him disbelievingly but, to Jughead's relief, didn't goad him further. To ensure that the conversation reached its climax, Jughead walked past his father to put on a pot of coffee for there was no better way to kick off Christmas than with caffeine, in his opinion. Out of the corner of his eye, as he waited for the coffee to brew, he saw his dad meander his way to the couch, settling into it comfortably. The coffee was ready and Jughead poured himself a mug, focusing (a little too hard) on not noticing his dad, as he made his way back to the living room. As soon as he sat down, the bedroom door creaked loudly and swung open, allowing Betty to enter the room, her mouth still closing from a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. An instinctive smile appeared on Jughead's face as he watched her, only able to think how adorable her sleepiness was and how weirdly good she looked considering she had just woken up.

"Oh, sorry. Merry Christmas, Mr. Jones. Jughead," she greeted awkwardly, evidently flustered at being caught in such a state.

"Merry Christmas, Betty," FP replied, and she smiled.

"Coffee?" Jughead offered to get her out of the room.

"Yes please," the relief in her tone was palpable as she followed him into the kitchen, standing aside as he pulled out a mug and poured coffee into it. "So I take it you haven't told your dad?"

"Didn't really get around to it. I presume you've already made it national news?"

"Very funny, Jughead Jones," she said, taking a sip, a soft sigh of gratitude escaping her lips when she did. "Oh, also, can we leave a little early? I want to pick up something for the twins."

"Absolutely," he replied with a smile. She reciprocated this smile and returned her focus to her coffee.

It took a while to get FP to let them go. He kept trying to have further conversations with Betty, telling Jughead to sit or get them something to eat until Betty finally put her foot down (as gently as possible) saying that they really couldn't stay much longer. A grumbling FP finally stepped aside, allowing them to leave, apologizing one final time to Betty for the mess.

"Hey, can I speak to you for a moment?" FP said, holding Jughead back. Betty looked at them curiously, an uncertain smile gracing her lips before she volunteered to go downstairs and get the car ready.

"What's up?"

"I thought you said things didn't go well last night," he said, and Jughead chuckled, shaking his head.

"Actually, I never answered that question. You mentioned Jellybean and I countered with a question about that."

"Ah. Right. Well, I'm happy for you, Jug. I know it's been a while since we've caught up but I'm glad your visit here went well even if I wasn't in it much."

"On the contrary, dad. You were in it just enough."

"I'm going to pretend that's a compliment and let you go now. She must be waiting downstairs. Just, Jughead – do me a favour?" Jughead looked at him in an inquisitorial way. "Don't be like me. Don't… you've got something good here with her. I know you probably think it's too early to tell, but trust me, I know about these things, okay? And you guys have got something good here. So just don't screw it up," he finished awkwardly, and although his choice of vocabulary could have been better, Jughead had to admit he was still quite happy with it.

"I won't. Thanks, dad," he replied, and with one final nod at his father and an unspoken promise of meeting again, he went downstairs to join Betty.

* * *

Betty could hear laughing from within, accompanied by footfalls as she and Jughead approached the door. She had already told Jughead that, coincidentally, Polly had asked them to pretend like they were dating. The fact that she wasn't sure _what_ they were yet was a different thing, but she had to admit they were closer to dating that being just friends. She felt his fingers brush hers, and giving him a smile, she slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. He looked momentarily surprised before a smile spread across his face too, and he squeezed her hand once, relaxing but not releasing it in the next breath. With this newfound reassurance and strength, Betty rang the doorbell and, within seconds, the door opened, revealing Jason Blossom.

 _Tears streamed down Polly's face as she shoved a letter into Betty's hands, the twins fast asleep on the bed. Betty opened it and read "Dear Jason" and immediately refolded it, giving Polly a look._

" _Please, Betty. He needs to know."_

" _Know what, Pol?"_

 _"Why I'm not meeting him."_

" _I don't know where to find him."_

" _I can tell you. Please, Betty."_

Betty could picture the letter still lying under all the discarded papers in the bottom drawer of her desk. She hadn't had the heart to throw it away no matter how many times her logic had told her otherwise. Even after all these years, she still had the letter. She wondered if Jason knew - if Polly had told him.

"Merry Christmas, Betty," Jason pulled her out of her thoughts, sporting a tight-lipped smile. Betty returned the smile.

"Merry Christmas, Jason. This is Jughead Jones."

"Ah yes. Polly told me you were bringing someone," he said before stepping aside. "Come in, please." Betty nodded and entered, pulling a reluctant Jughead in tow. The quaint, pretty living room they had seen was now full of Christmas-themed streamers and lights. "Polly, your sister's here!" Jason called out as Betty and Jughead stepped over the threshold. Betty couldn't help noticing the detached way he instantly allowed her to be Polly's burden and not his, designating her to one half of the family.

"Brilliant. Kids, come downstairs! Aunt Betty's here!" Polly called up the stairs as she came into view, in a red Christmas jumper and green pants. "Merry Christmas, Betty," she hugged Betty and gave Jughead a smile. "Now, kids!"

Thundering followed.

Two eight-year-olds came into view, a boy and a girl, wearing jumpers and pajamas. Betty was instantly struck by how much Juniper resembled Polly. She was sure if she pulled out an old photo album, Polly would look exactly like Juniper in it. Jasper didn't look like Jason, however. Instead, he looked like Juniper but with shorter hair. Betty supposed that as they grew Jasper would begin resembling his father more.

"Juniper, Jasper – _this_ is Aunt Betty," Polly said, giving Betty a giant smile and waving her hand in indication. The twins marveled at this information for a moment.

"She's much prettier than her pictures," Juniper broke the silence, and Betty grinned.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Juniper," she said and the girl blushed, coming down the remaining stairs. Jasper followed his sister and, sizing up Betty one last time, turned to Polly.

"Can we open presents now, Mom? You said we had to wait for Aunt Betty, and now she's here," he gave Polly a wide grin. She seemed less than amused, however.

"Jasper, where are your manners? You may open presents after lunch. It's almost ready," she said the last bit to Betty and Jughead, the latter of whom seemed thankful for this.

"It's fine if he wants to open presents now, Polly. I don't think we-"

"Don't be ridiculous, Betty," Jason interrupted and both sisters gave him a look of disbelief. Betty felt Jughead's hand tighten in hers momentarily. She had forgotten their fingers were still intertwined. "Jasper should know better. Would you guys like something to drink?" He seemed oblivious to his condescending actions.

"Just water for me, thanks," she heard Jughead say, a step behind her, the tension dissipating. Jason gave a curt nod, eyeing Jughead's beanie with the same distasteful look Cheryl had given it previously much to Betty's annoyance.

"For you too, Betty?"

"Yeah, thanks," she replied in a cool, clipped tone. Something flashed in his eyes for a moment before he disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

"Well," Polly broke the silence that had settled, "Let's sit, shall we?"

"Aunt Betty can sit with us!" The twins shouted from the couch and Betty grinned, her previous annoyance forgotten. She looked at Jughead, mentally asking if he'd be alright and he just returned a smile. She took her place between the twins and Jughead took the sofa adjacent to the couch so he was still close to her. As the twins chattered to her, she nearly forgot about Jason's distant attitude when it came to her and Polly.

Lunch was surprisingly amazing. Although, Betty supposed, she shouldn't be surprised that five years had made Polly an amazing chef. It just surprised her since, when her sister left, she could only make a salad and ramen. Jughead seemed to appreciate it far more than her, however; by the end of the meal, Polly was as red as the apples in the fruit bowl due to all the compliments Jughead showered on her. He excused himself right before dessert and, in his and Jason's absence (who had excused himself saying he had a business call - "On Christmas?!" Polly protested very loudly), Polly turned to Betty, eyes shining.

"You and Jughead seem to be doing an amazing job of being together."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Betty felt her guard go up, and Polly grinned.

"I'm not implying anything Betty, but I'm just saying – you two can't seem to stop looking at each other. Jason definitely thinks you're a couple. I didn't realise you were such a good actress; mom would be proud."

"Well as long as the act is working, right?" Betty said, choosing a nonchalant smile to throw in her sister's direction. She didn't know why she didn't tell Polly what had happened. If anyone could help her sort through her mess of emotions, it was her sister. However, just as these thoughts swam in her mind, Jughead returned, looking very frazzled. "You okay?" Betty asked, amusement colouring her tone. He gave her a panicked look before glancing up at Polly and painting on a smile of reassurance.

"Fine. Can I speak to you in private? It's about work," he said the last part as a statement to Polly, explaining why he needed to speak to Betty alone. But Betty suspected that wasn't really the reason. However, giving her sister a smile to pacify any doubt she may have, she got up and walked into the backyard with Jughead.

"What's up?" She asked as he shut the door behind them.

"Jason's cheating on Polly," the instant the words left his lips, Betty felt the urge to ball her hands into fists and consciously had to focus on not doing so. Reminding herself to breathe, she took a moment to regain composure.

"Why do you think so?" She asked, realising she was unsurprised at the information.

"I heard him on the phone with the mistress."

"And how did you know she was the mistress?"

"Well unless he wants to do incredibly dirty things to his mother, I'm pretty sure it was someone outside of this marriage," he explained and Betty felt something wet in her palm. She quickly unclenched her fist, turning the back of her hand to him so he wouldn't see the crescent moons. She nodded once, keeping her expression wooden. She knew what she needed to do next.

Going back inside, she saw Jason approach the table with pie as she faced Polly. Polly seemed suddenly on guard by Betty's stonelike nature and sat a little straighter – the way she used to when she hadn't got the grade Alice Cooper thought she deserved and their mother stormed into their room.

"You okay, Betty?"

"Polly, I have news and it's bad," she stuck to her all-business-no-nonsense tone. "Jason's seeing someone else." To her surprise, her sister seemed entirely unfazed by this information, only realising too late that she wasn't fazed.

"Oh my god, what!" Polly exclaimed, whipping around to face Jason, a distraught look on her face. However, her sister had never been Oscar-worthy so Betty saw right through her. Where Jason's face should have conveyed complete shock, Betty realised it was more mild surprise that she knew that he expressed.

" _You knew?"_ Betty stared at her sister, dumbstruck. For the millionth time, she found herself so thankful that Jughead was there and just a finger length away, remaining her support system. The guilt that spread itself on Polly's face was enough for Betty to want to clench her fists again. However, she felt Jughead put a hand on her back, rubbing it slowly and that reminded her to breathe. Giving a nod, she announced, "Jughead, let's go."

"Wait, Betty!" Polly pleaded, and she gave him an inquisitive look. "Don't you want… an explanation or something?"

"Are you guys actually married?"

"We… were," she admitted and Betty nodded again, pressing her lips together.

"I told you this was a bad idea, Pol," Jason chimed in, rekindling Betty's previous annoyance. This time however, owing to him having no relation to her sister, she felt no obligation to remain nice.

"So was getting my sister pregnant in high school, but that didn't stop you, did it? Jughead, let's go," she said again and, without pausing, walked out, Jughead following her. She spotted the twins on the staircase as she went to the door.

"Are you leaving so soon?" Juniper asked, and Betty felt herself a melt a little.

"Yes, I'm afraid Jughead and I need to be back in Riverdale. There's a Christmas party happening there too, you know."

"Oh. Will you come back?"

"Of course I'll come to visit you guys," she said, with a smile. "Bye, guys," she waved and within minutes, they were back in the car, Jughead sitting behind the wheel.

"Betts, do you want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly.

"Let's go home, Jughead," she replied and he nodded, starting the engine. They spent the entire drive back to Riverdale in silence.

As the silence allowed her to retreat into her thoughts, Betty realised that the last two days had been more eventful than her entire life. She found herself wanting to go back to the balcony and the movie-like kiss she had experienced. And yet, the kiss felt like it had happened worlds away with someone who wasn't driving right beside her. She thought about how she had reacted when Polly had told her that she and Jason weren't together and felt anger and guilt rise simultaneously. She wondered if she had acted irrationally. After all, her thought process when she had found out had been entirely self centred: if Polly and Jason were no longer together, what reason did Polly have for staying away from Riverdale? Betty knew the answer – their parents – but she also knew that Polly wouldn't have to stay there now that she was financially secure. And she knew that _her_ life would be a lot easier if her sister and closest companion was nearby.

By the time their apartment came into view, Betty was feeling more guilty than angry for lashing out, berating herself for doing so. Due to this, she didn't register when Jughead pulled over until he heard a soft, hesitant, "Betty?" And looked up, meeting his eye. "We've arrived."

"Right," she acknowledged, getting out and taking her bag out from the back, waiting for Jughead to park and return.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked again, as he approached her. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Jughead," she lied and he gave her a look of disbelief but didn't pursue. They climbed up the stairs in silence until they reached Jughead's flat. As they approached the door, he turned around before opening it, with a small smile.

"Well, this is me."

"Yeah."

"You wanna come in for coffee or something? Archie isn't back until tomorrow night."

"No… I think I'm going to go take a shower," she said, trying to replaster the smile of reassurance. He nodded, returning a smile of caution.

"Betty, you know if you need to talk, you know you can talk to me, right?" He said with a more serious tone, all traces of a smile vanishing in a second. Betty wasn't sure what switch went off in her mind, but she kissed him.

Maybe she had intended it to be a short kiss, but Betty hadn't thought so far in advance. However, it did go on for longer as she dropped her bag and pushed Jughead back, against the door. He pulled away for a second and looked at her, as if asking if she was sure. In response she kissed him harder than before.

She could feel the fireworks again and it spread joy and warmth through her veins. Somewhere far away she could hear Jughead fiddling with the door handle until it finally opened and they nearly fell over because how pressed they were against it. She giggled and saw him smile too as she turned around to shut the door. Once it was shut, her giggles subsided and his smile dissipated a little before he kissed her again, this time letting her be the one pinned against the door. She tugged at the end of his sweater and, once again, he pulled away and looked at her, questioning. She wanted to scream – she didn't want to think so much about this. But instead she gave him a real smile of reassurance and, upon seeing this, his own smile returned, wider than before, and he pulled off his sweater, his beanie falling off in the process. She liked how he looked without the beanie – he suddenly seemed unguarded and… real. In a moment, she pulled off her sweater too and he began kissing down her neck.

This time, however, she didn't stop him at her collarbone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Line break means a change in POV.**

* * *

Jughead awoke to the feeling of the warm sun on his back. The room was cozy and borderline stuffy due to the closed window and the running heater. But Jughead didn't mind that his thin, white curtains barely kept out the strong December sun or that he felt slightly suffocated under the thickness of his duvet because wrapped in his arms, with strawberry scented hair, was Betty Cooper, the curve of her back fitting perfectly and comfortably into the arch of his chest. Sex, it seemed, was just what they had needed to tip them over the edge of exhaustion as they fell asleep, tangled in each other's arms. Jughead hoped the moment would never end; he hoped he would never have to let go of the beautiful girl he was holding. But, as all good things must come to an end, after allowing their breathing to fall into rhythm, the heat began getting to him and he knew he needed to turn down the heater.

Gently and reluctantly, he removed himself from her, hating every moment of the separation (she even shifted once, nuzzling closer to him, making him rethink the entire situation), he pulled on boxers and made his way to the heater, turning it down a few notches. He then stood, watching her sleep for a few moments – she was an image of serenity when she slept. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and her hair insisted on falling perfectly about her face, continuing to frame it as if she were awake. One of her palms was upturned on the pillow and the other faced downwards right beside it. Her eyelashes fluttered sometimes and her left eyebrow would raise on its own sometimes following which her brow furrowed into a frown. But this was all momentary and she would return to previous serenity without any hindrance.

He wondered what she was dreaming about. And he wondered if he was featured in her dreams. He also wondered if she would ever tell him about the little red marks on her palm in the shape of crescent moons. He had failed to notice her hands until now, but with the palm upturned, he couldn't help but wonder how long the scars had been there.

It was a while before he could bring himself to look away and move away from the bed, going into the bathroom and brushing his teeth, instead. He pulled on one of his t-shirts he had hung behind the door before leaving and then walked out, stole one last glance at her, and then exited his room, taking great care to shut the door as quietly as possible behind him.

He almost didn't notice Veronica sitting with one leg thrown over the other, on the breakfast bar, sipping coffee in one of Archie's shirts. To her credit, she seemed just as stunned to see him.

"Hey Veronica, no offence, but what the fuck are you doing here?" Jughead asked, his filter nonexistent as sleep was still working its way out of his system.

"Good morning to you too, Jones. I was out of coffee," she said, holding up the mug as evidence of her need for caffeine.

"And clothes, apparently," he mumbled, pouring himself whatever was left in the pot and taking a thankful sip. Veronica simply narrowed her eyes at him.

"Wait, if you're back… is Betty back too?" Mentioning Betty woke him up much faster than caffeine could have possibly hoped to do. Luckily, she didn't seem to have noticed. "If she is, tell her that I'm the reason she still has her bag because for some reason it was laying outside your apartment and I saw it on my way back from my parents' place last night. Hey, Jughead, why was Betty's bag laying outside your door last night?" Although her tone was innocent, her eyes glinted with mischief.

"Oh yeah, we have the same bag. She must have taken mine by mistake and was just dropping it off, I guess," he lied casually, maintaining eye contact as all practiced liars were supposed to do.

"Really? Well that's odd considering she has 'Property of Elizabeth Cooper' labeled on its side."

 _Because of course Betty Cooper uses labels to protect her stuff_. Jughead now was running out of excuses.

"Well then I don't know, Veronica. Maybe you should ask Betty. Oh wait, you can't: Reggie has her running errands for him already," again he tried his hand at lying and, this time, Veronica seemed to buy it. Although, Jughead suspected, it probably had more to do with the mention of Reggie in the same sentence as Betty than anything else. They fell into an awkward silence while Jughead sipped his coffee, anxious to fiddle with something.

"Did she tell you?" Veronica asked, breaking the silence. He looked at her for a moment before nodding, watching her face fall momentarily before she recomposed herself. "How is she?"

"Fine, I think. She said it was weird but didn't say much after that," he felt himself reddening at the memory of what did follow the admission of weirdness. He couldn't tell if Veronica was hurt or relieved, but he could tell that she was keeping her face carefully casual.

"Great," she finally said, nodding, "I'm glad she's fine. If you see her, can you ask her to call me? I have this New Year's thing to plan and I could really use her help with the planning."

"Absolutely," he replied, and she smiled.

"Thanks, Jughead," she gave him a warm smile before hopping off the counter, and making her way to the front door. "Oh, and for what it's worth, Archie didn't tell Betty because he didn't know how she would react and he feels like she's been really distant from him lately." Jughead instantly felt defensive of Betty, thinking that that was no excuse to not tell her – especially since she received so much shit for withholding personal information (Veronica hadn't spoken to her for a day when she found out about Trev taking Betty out) time and time again. This just made him wonder if he would soon be on the receiving end of a silent treatment too, when Veronica and Archie inevitably found out about Boston and what followed.

"I'll tell her," he decided it wasn't his place to fight Veronica and figured that Betty would want to do the fighting herself anyway. Especially since seeing Betty angry was one of the scariest things Jughead had ever seen in real life. Veronica gave him another smile of gratitude and left, the door shutting and bringing with it silence. Jughead stood in the open kitchen, lost in thoughts about the weekend that had just passed and about silent treatments, when he realised that there was someone he was definitely going to be shunned by if he didn't tell them about Boston.

"Hello?" Jellybean sleepily said from the other end of the call and Jughead grinned, imagining his sister with her hair all over the place. Unlike Betty, Jellybean's hair had to be tamed into framing her face and therefore decided that, when she slept, it received full freedom to be as wild as it decided. Thinking about this made Jughead's heart ache for his sister.

"Morning."

"What do you want?" Already she sounded more awake and surprisingly hostile. Instinctively Jughead began a mental checklist of everything he had done in the last 24 hours, wondering where he had misstepped and pissed her off.

"Everything okay?"

"Depends on your definition. Maybe in your dictionary, okay means leaving your sister in the dark about you and Betty to the extent that she has to find out from a father you have been estranged from for the longest time, but hey that's not what it means in my vocabulary."

 _Of course she knows._

"JB…"

"Please do not bore me with apologies, big brother. Just tell me if it's true."

"It is," he said in a resigned tone and heard silence on the other end. He assumed it was due to the information sinking in and allowed it, waiting for her to speak. When the silence went on for too long, he was worried he had broken his sister (stunning Jellybean into silence was a feat no one had managed to achieve). "Jellybean?"

"Did you make the first move?"

"I did," the sigh that followed this was what pride sounded like in one word. He felt himself relax when he heard it because the exhale was followed by giggling.

"I'm so proud of you, Jughead!" She exclaimed, all past tension instantly forgotten. "Wow, when I said not to wait three years, I didn't realise you'd listen so well. Maybe I should give advice more often."

"You once told me to stick my hands in a blender so I'd appreciate that I had them and therefore be motivated to write."

"Yeah, but didn't you finish three chapters by midnight?"

"Yes, but-"

"I should give advice more often," she concluded and Jughead chuckled, deciding to agree.

"Okay, Forsythia, whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Shut up and tell me all about what happened," he could see her leaning forward, chin resting on her intertwined fingers, with the phone on speaker. With a content sigh, Jughead began, narrating the events before and on Christmas, his sister punctuating his story appropriately with gasps and squeals (particularly when he got to the balcony).

He wasn't sure how long he had spoken for, but by the time he finished, his throat was sore and 'Betty' didn't sound like a word anymore, much less a person.

"Well haven't you kids had quite the adventure?" Jellybean finally commented and Jughead chuckled.

"Only the best kind," he replied, and they fell into silence as he mulled over the events. It still felt like a dream. He didn't believe that if he walked into his bedroom right now, he would find Betty sleeping there, lips parted, palms upturned. And yet, the fact that in that moment this was his reality made him feel elated with joy.

"You sound happy, Jug," Jellybean pulled him out of his thoughts and he smiled to himself, nodding as he stood.

"I am, Jellybean. I really am."

"Good. You deserve it," she said with a sense of finality – the matter was closed, and in her mind him and Betty were together. Jughead had strategically left out the unlabeling part – he knew Jellybean wouldn't be happy about it and didn't want Betty to wake up to Jellybean flinging swears at her. "Well, big brother," mischief returned to her tone making Jughead groan internally, "now that you are finally with someone who doesn't treat you like crap – don't fight me, you know it was true – I must have you guys over for dinner sometime. I'd like to finally meet this Betty person, you know. I'd like to officially approve of her entering our lives."

"Our lives?"

"Jughead, we have always gone everywhere together and done everything together. There is no way in hell I am butting out of this. I didn't approve of Toni and see how that ended. Now, from what you've told me of Betty-"

"Maybe let's not do this at eight in the morning, JB?" He interrupted and could hear his sister's indignance on the other end at not only being interrupted but also being on the receiving end of a not-so-subtle goodbye. But, to his immense gratitude, he heard her give a resigned (albeit exaggerated) sigh.

"Fine. But I'm having you guys over on – oh! You could come for New Year's!"

"Pass. Veronica's having a thing, and Betty and I won't live to see another day if we miss it."

"Wow okay, I see where your priorities lie," mock hurt coloured her tone. "You've been with Betty a grand total of a day and already – Riverdale has changed you, big brother."

"How dare you," he played along and heard giggling from the direction of his bedroom. Looking up, he caught the eye of Betty, standing by the fridge, in his crown sweater, which was just long enough. Her hair was tousled but in the most adorable way and her eyes shone as she padded towards him, a wide smile on her face. She approached him and gave him a soft kiss, greeting him, with one hand caressing his cheek.

"Morning," she said and he grinned stupidly at her. Jughead could not believe how genuinely lucky he was to have this be a reality for him.

"JB, I gotta go," he said and heard his sister protest loudly on the other end. And, for the first time, instead of attempting to pacify her, Jughead simply hung up.

"Someone important?" Betty asked, her voice soft and alluring. She was standing close enough for him to feel her breath on his lips when she spoke.

"Just my manager," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers. It had been less than five minutes and already he found himself itching to pull his sweater off her and have her on the bar. The only thing that stopped him was how damn good she looked in his sweater.

"Coffee?" He asked, stuffing down his need and taking a step towards what he was now realising was an empty pot. Betty looked at him in amusement as his cheeks tinged pink. Under her scrutiny, he moved quickly and clumsily to put together some coffee for her. As he poured the beans into the grinder, she placed her hand on his, stopping his haste and allowing him to turn his attention to her again. She kissed him again, this time staying for much longer and pressing closer to him. To his mild embarrassment, Jughead felt himself harden and she broke the kiss at that moment, giving a soft chuckle and glancing down.

"I see someone else is up, too," she met his eyes again and, without pausing, he kissed her again, picking her up, onto the kitchen counter, in one swift movement. She giggled at this but the giggles soon gave way to soft sounds of agreement as he bit and sucked down her neck, her back arching and pushing her towards him. He was about to pull off the sweater when there was a loud banging on the door, making both of them jump like teenagers.

"Oh my god!" Betty exclaimed as Jughead whipped around to face the door.

"Is that Veronica?!" He asked rhetorically and saw Betty roll her eyes in his peripheral vision.

"Who else would it be?" She hopped off the counter as Jughead made his way to the door. She disappeared into his bedroom, shutting the door almost completely but with just enough space for her to hear who it was. Jughead stared at her for a moment in disbelief – he didn't think it was this inconceivable that she would be in his flat, even if it was rather early in the morning.

Opening the door revealed a red-haired, very disheveled, evidently exhausted Archie Andrews, entering the flat, suitcase in tow. Once inside, he looked at Jughead thankfully, his face dissolving into a grin as he threw himself onto Jughead, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"Jug! I'm back!" He announced a little too loud, right into Jughead's ear.

"Hey, Arch," he returned the greeting with considerably less enthusiasm, trying to pull himself out of the deadlock. "You're back early."

"I quit!" Archie exclaimed, and Jughead's eyes widened in shock.

"You what?"

"I quit my job, Jughead. I spoke to Cheryl last night, and she offered me a raise if I stayed, and I told her she could fuck off because I wanted to try my hand at music again. So, then, I quit!" He somewhat elaborated and Jughead could just imagine Cheryl turning as red as her hair with rage at this news.

"Wow, Archie. I'm… impressed," Jughead said, smiling at his friend with amusement while nervously glancing at Betty's bag laying on the ground behind him. Thanks to Archie's oblivious nature, he was too wrapped up in his own news to care about Jughead's evident tension. He simply nodded, clearly proud of himself for (finally) truly taking charge and pursuing his passion.

"Thanks, Jug. Anyway, I'm going to take a nap now – I don't want to keep your lady friend waiting for much longer."

"My what now?"

"Well unless your shoe size has magically shrunk I'm assuming those," he gestured to Betty's boots, "aren't yours." Jughead went slightly red and Archie chuckled. "Relax, man. I think this is good for you, you know? It means you're getting over Betty."

"Getting over who now?" Jughead suddenly realised the definition of incredulity in its entirety.

"Betty. Betty Cooper. Wow, this new girl must be doing quite a-"

"Stop, Archie. What do you mean getting over Betty?"

"Oh, Ronnie… you know what? Nevermind. Important thing is, you had a thing for her and now you don't," he said and Jughead opened and shut his mouth a few times, searching for a way to respond to this. "Anyway, I gotta take a nap now – I'm exhausted. If Cheryl calls, don't pick up. Night!"

"Night," Jughead replied in broad daylight, still stunned at what had happened. He was trying to recall everything he had ever done around Archie and Veronica – trying to remember how it had been so painfully obvious that he had liked Betty.

* * *

Betty awoke in a foreign bed, the pillow beside her dented but empty. For a moment she panicked, wondering where she was before the memories flooded back. She relaxed under the blanket, a smile slowly curving her lips before she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. She could hear voices coming from outside and, after a moment of intently listening, realised Jughead was talking to Jellybean. She liked listening to him talk to his sister – it was the only time he wasn't guarded in the least. They spoke easily and it often made Betty's heart ache for when she had that level of ease with Polly.

After Boston, it only hurt more.

She stayed in bed, listening to the way Jughead told their story, noticing that he left out the "no hard feelings, no obligations" aspect and wondering why. She heard him laugh casually at something Jellybean had said and, after the last two days, she found herself wishing for such laughter. Unconsciously, tears pricked her eyes and she blinked furiously, sitting up quickly and making her way to the bathroom. She found an extra toothbrush in the "medicine cabinet" and used it, only then realising that they had left her bag outside all night. This only added more tension to her already heavy heart and, when she finally stepped out of the bedroom, her eye landed on her bag sitting near the door. The immediate flood of relief lasted for a grand total of two seconds before promptly being replaced with further casual conversation between Jughead and his sister.

"Pass. Veronica's having a thing, and Betty and I won't live to see another day if we miss it," he said, and Betty chuckled at the accuracy of their fates should they dare miss Veronica's New Year's party - she assumed that's what they were talking about.

She finally stepped out from behind the fridge, deciding she needed a distraction, something Jughead was more than ready to provide, it seemed. That was, until the distraction came in the form of someone trying to break down the front door, making her nearly jump out of her skin. She instinctively disappeared into the bedroom and caught Jughead's look of confusion and disbelief at her movements. She listened for a moment, hearing Archie's voice, and her eyes widened. More than once she glanced at the window to the fire escape beside Jughead's bedroom but found herself too frozen in spot to actually make a move to leave. Instead she sat in his sweater, waiting for Archie to storm into Jughead's room and find her in his roommate's crown sweater which fell just a little over her thighs.

The door opened, making Betty's heart beat almost too fast for a moment, before Jughead stepped in. She sighed and gave a laugh of relief. He noticed her and he seemed momentarily surprised to see her there – as if he had already forgotten she was there. Then slowly his confusion dissolved into a smile as he approached the bed and lay down.

"This has been way too much drama for a week, Betty," he said, and she lay down beside him, propping herself up on one elbow, grinning in agreement. "Archie quit his job."

"What?" Never in a million years had Betty imagined Archie "I am definitely going to quit today" Andrews actually quitting.

"Yeah. He wants to pursue music instead," Jughead elaborated, and Betty's eyebrows rose.

"Well who would've thought," she dropped her elbow, laying down and staring at the ceiling too. She felt Jughead's fingers playing with hers and smiled again. They lay in silence, enjoying each other's company, very aware of the every tiny movement that happened in the room. Betty loved it. She loved that they were able to fall into comfortable silences this way, thinking their own thoughts, wondering what the other was thinking about while simultaneously being content in not knowing.

She watched the sunlight dance on the ceiling – it was a beautiful day. Maybe the beauty was augmented with how amazing she felt in the moment. For the first time in a while, she realised, she wasn't worried about anything. And it was thanks to the person laying beside her, mirroring her calm, and allowing himself to be open. It had only been a few months but already she couldn't imagine having never met Jughead.

"Hey," he murmured up at the ceiling, not looking at her. She wondered if he had heard her thoughts about how happy she was that he was in her life. "Do you want to go get some coffee at Pop's? I'm starving."

"Sure," she replied with a giggle. It was only when he mentioned it that she was aware of her own hunger. They hadn't eaten anything since Polly's lunch. "I need to take a shower, though."

"Oh yeah, me too. You want to go first?" He asked, sitting up and looking at her. She held out her arm and he pulled her up so she was sitting up too. The question was simply convention – he expected her to go first. "I'll get your bag."

"What?"

"So, apparently, in the intensity of last night, we left your bag outside the flat and Veronica dropped it off in the morning," he replied and Betty bit her lip, imagining that conversation.

"Speaking of, if she asks – we have the same bag and you thought you had taken mine up instead of yours so you brought it back. But you were wrong."

"And Veronica bought that excuse? You know I label all my stuff right?" Betty stared at him in amusement. She could just see how flustered he must've gotten, trying to explain why her bag was laying outside his flat.

"Yeah I just told her that Reggie had you running errands for him. I guess mentioning your boss and her ex shut her up," he replied with a grin. "Anyway, you can go get in the shower and I'll get your bag."

"Okay," she made her way into the bathroom, turning on the tower and allowing the water to run over her hand until it reached the perfect temperature. She slipped out of his sweater and was then struck by a thought. She waited for a moment, hearing the bedroom door shut, signaling Jughead's return, and opened the door wide. "Hey, Jug?" His back was to her as he folded some clothes.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking… if two people shower at the same time, it conserves water, don't you think?" She watched him freeze before he slowly turned around, speechless as his eyes took her in from top to bottom. She giggled, enjoying this attention.

"You want to have shower sex… for the environment?"

"I'm just saying. It saves water," she shrugged. "But, hey," she stepped back, closing the door a little but still enough for him to see and unclasping her bra, "if you'd rather waste this valuable resource-" the door flew open as Jughead struggled to get out of his boxers while opening the door, nearly falling over in the process. Upon success, Betty clapped sarcastically, the clapping interrupted by Jughead kissing her.

"Gotta help the environment, right?" He murmured against her lips.

"That's exactly what I thought," she replied and kissed him again.

An hour later, the couple strolled into Pop's, the bell tinkling overhead as they entered. The diner was near empty, with Dan behind the counter, reading a magazine, clearly bored out of his mind. He glanced up when he saw them enter and, without saying a word, went back to flicking through the pages. Jughead's smile at the conversation he and Betty had been having up to that point immediately disappeared when he saw the lack of hospitality with which they were greeted. Betty, although agreeing, put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from telling Dan off. They approached the counter and, when Dan still didn't give them the time of day, Betty had to brush her hand against Jughead's to prevent him from getting mad. Things were going so well today and Betty would be damned if she let the likes of Dan ruin it.

"Welcome to Pop's Chock-Lit Shoppe, my name is Daniel, how may I help you?" He rattled off in an unwelcoming monotone.

"You can start by actually looking at your customers, Dan," Jughead replied through gritted teeth, and Dan, with an annoyed sigh, looked at them. A second passed, and he raised his eyebrows once, repeating the question wordlessly. Betty could tell that Jughead was a hair's breadth away from jumping over the counter and strangling him, so she quickly diffused the situation.

"Two coffees, please. We're having them here," he nodded, and she pulled Jughead away from the counter, leading him to their booth and ensuring that he was on the side without a view of Dan. Once they settled in, his eyes were still flitting and she could tell he was itching to tell Dan off. "Tell you what," she said, taking his hand on the table. He met her eyes, "you can tell him off right before we leave. That way, he can't do anything about it, too."

The smile he gave her was one of the widest she had seen him don yet.

"Okay," he replied, tracing circles on the back of her hand. "So, Betty," he began, and she cocked her head to a side curiously – she hadn't realised that there was an ulterior motive to getting coffee, "Since we're… well… doing this – whatever it is – I feel like we should get to know each other. You know, minus the deep past trauma that we already know about each other," he said 'past trauma' dismissively and Betty chuckled, nodding. Simultaneously, though, she could feel a wall coming up and so, withdrawing her hand, leaning back, and crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow. She noticed his momentary frown at her change in demeanor. "You okay?"

"Yeah, no, everything's fine," she shook her head, attempting at reassurance unsuccessfully.

"I agree. So… shoot. What do you want to know, Jughead Jones?" He leaned back too, sunlight streaking across his face through the window beside them. The sunlight highlighted his eyes, making the blue more striking than it already was.

"Okay… when did you decide to become a journalist?" He asked, and she nearly sighed with relief – she had expected a much deeper question. She hadn't expected him to be serious when he had said he wouldn't mention past trauma.

"In high school. In sophomore year, I restarted the school newspaper with the help of Kevin and Veronica, and people actually started reading it again," she replied, and he nodded, a small smile on his face. "When did you know you wanted to be a writer?"

"The same, actually. In high school I was, well, going through some stuff and I started writing about it, except I made this character up instead of writing it about myself, and that's when I knew I wanted to write," he replied with a shrug and Betty's brow furrowed. She wasn't daring enough to ask what "stuff" he had been going through. "So, to move on to lighter topics, favourite colour?" She laughed at the simplicity of the question, considering what it had followed and shrugged.

"I don't think I have one?"

"No favourite colour? That's bullshit, Betty. Everyone has a favourite colour."

"What can I tell you? I don't believe in discriminating between colours," she replied with a coy smile, and he narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before chuckling at the ground.

"Well, I do. I love green," somehow, Betty had never expected green to be the answer. She had expected a darker colour like dark blue or, to be true to his character, black.

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"No, it's just – actually yes. I thought it would be something… darker," she admitted, and he laughed again.

"If you had asked me a few months ago, it might have been. But Riverdale is such a green town, I guess the colour just spoke to me."

"As poetic as always," Betty laughed as the coffees arrived.

* * *

Jughead didn't know how to tell her that the green he was talking about was not the green of Riverdale but the green of her eyes. He had almost too many times now lost himself in them, just gazing. He was midway through a chapter when he had changed the eye colour of his protagonist – something Jellybean hadn't approved of.

Luckily, he found, he didn't have to further explain (for he was sure word vomit would lead him to drop some pretentious line like "the green of your eyes puts leaves to shame in the height of summer") as the coffees came. Dan, sticking with his belief in monotony asked them if they wanted anything else and looked like he was going to kill Jughead when he asked for eggs. He shot even more daggers when Betty asked for pancakes, making her recoil slightly and almost rescind her order before Jughead said "that's all", effectively sending him away.

"I'm going to talk to Pop about him," he made a resolution once Dan was out of earshot and she laughed.

"You do that," she agreed, taking a sip of her coffee, a smile of pure serenity following this. "This is amazing."

 _So are you._

"So," she said, putting down the coffee, "what was college like?" She asked, and Jughead had flashbacks of a locker full of whipped cream and finding his bag in the pool. He had hated the entire education system since kindergarten, and when he managed to get his first book published at twenty, dropped out as he was financially independent.

 _"What do you mean you want to leave?" His sister asked in a frenzy, nearly dropping the brand new porcelain vase that she didn't need._

 _"I mean, I have the money. Come on, JB, I'm going to learn so much more from travelling than from sitting in a boring classroom all day!"_

 _"But… where will you go?"_

 _"I don't know! Isn't that exciting! The world is our oyster. You know what?" He pulled the world map she kept on the wall off and put it down in front of her. Jellybean tended to buy a lot of things she didn't need and this was the first time Jughead was glad about it. "Point anywhere and that's where we'll go."_

 _"We?"_

 _"You didn't think I was going to go alone, did you?" She smiled softly, almost bashfully, at his incredulity before turning back to the map. Closing her eyes, she pointed to the Philippines._

 _"Manila, here we come," he said when she opened her eyes. Picking her up, he spun her around once in his excitement as she laughed loudly. And so their travels began._

"To put it simply, I dropped out once I was published," he replied, and Betty laughed. "Sure my first book wasn't too good and didn't sell really well, but it gave me enough money to travel, and at the end of the day, isn't that really the dream?"

"Well, I wouldn't know," she said, glancing at the ground, and Jughead's brow furrowed. "I've never traveled just for the heck of it. I'm the kind of person who makes a checklist of everything she wants to see before going anywhere. It's just one of the things my parents taught me – if you're going to go somewhere, make sure you have an objective. Anyway, I've never had the kind of money to take random vacations," she shrugged, and Jughead instantly felt bad. He hadn't meant to flaunt his wealth, he had simply meant to answer her questions.

"I'm sorry, Betts. I didn't mean to show off that I had money or something."

"No! Obviously you didn't mean that! Oh god, no, Juggie, I don't feel bad about that. It just, it sounds amazing to go to places without having any idea what to expect. I was just saying, I could never do it," she hastily explained and he nodded, unsure that this was truly how she felt. However, just so that he'd sleep better, he decided to believe her.

"How was your college?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"Fine. Veronica was in the same city and ensured that we all stayed in touch. Her and Archie are the only friendship I know which has survived long distance. But I'm pretty sure that's because her family is rolling in money and her parents thought Archie was good for her so they were more than ready to pay for her to fly to the other coast as and when she pleased. They also gave a ton of money to her university so that she couldn't be kicked out for missing so many classes. Suffice to say, I didn't have such luxuries. Sometimes I went with her but mostly I just stayed in my room, reading."

"Not much of a socialite?" He asked, amusement colouring his tone.

"Oh god no. I had the bare minimum social life I needed to survive," she replied with a laugh. "Just did whatever work I had to and graduated as valedictorian four years later."

"Impressive," he nodded in appreciation.

"Predictable," she scoffed in response, "I had to be perfect, right? It would have been inconceivable to not be valedictorian." Jughead had heard Betty use a variation of emotions but never bitterness. He had heard anger, annoyance, frustration, fury, but never bitterness. And yet, the amount of bitterness with which she spoke of her college experience left him curious. And yet he couldn't find the words to ask for further details.

"Did you leave your parents to get away from this idea of you that they had?" He asked, and she looked at him curiously, as if she couldn't believe that someone was actually asking.

"Partly. My mom basically said they hired me due to nepotism. She said-" she paused, licking her lips as she plucked up the courage to continue. "She said I wasn't good enough to get work anywhere else. And, what do you know? She was right. Instead of writing, I'm getting coffee, and picking up dry cleaning, and-"

"Hey," instantly he took her hands, tightening his grip when he felt her pull away. "I know you've shown me a tiny, tiny portion of your writing, but Betty Cooper, you are one of the best writers I've ever met, okay? And don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he was being sincere – he didn't usually like the journalistic style of writing but he hadn't been able to put down the articles Betty had written. Searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty, Betty finally nodded when she found none.

"Thank you, Jug," she replied and he loosened his grip but she didn't remove her hands.

"So, are you a dog or cat person?" He asked and she laughed, the tinkling sound removing the tension that had enveloped the booth.

"Dogs. You?"

"Dogs all the way," he replied, and that was when the food arrived.

"Anything else?" Dan's monotony made a reappearance, and Jughead had to stop himself from stabbing Dan's neck with a fork. Betty simply watched him in amusement as he glared at an incredibly oblivious Dan.

"No, thanks, Dan. Oh, FYI, you're not getting a tip," Betty said, and Jughead looked at her, surprised. Dan's monotony disappeared in a second and he stared at Betty in shock.

"What?" He spluttered, and Betty smirked.

"The diner is empty. You have no reason to be such a bitch to your customers. So, unless you literally kiss our ass in the next few minutes, we are not tipping such a pathetic employee," she turned her attention to Jughead. "I think that's fair?"

"Absolutely," Jughead grinned, feeling his heart swell with pride at her action. He realised that, as long as he wasn't the object of her rage, watching her be angry at people had a very high entertainment value. Especially since the recipients of her wrath tended to look like they were just about ready to shit themselves. And seeing Dan in this position was particularly entertaining since Jughead felt no sympathy for him. As Dan slowly processed what had just happened, his mouth stretched into the most painful smile Jughead had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

"Can I interest you guys in today's sundae of the day? On the house?" Dan asked through gritted teeth and Betty gave a gracious smile.

"You're too kind, Dan. Yes, we would like one of those," she replied and Dan nodded. "After we're done with our breakfast."

"Of course," Dan said, shooting Jughead a smile too for good measure before disappearing.

"Ice cream for breakfast?" Jughead asked once Dan had left and Betty shrugged.

"When people give you free food, you take it. So, where we were? Oh yeah, have you ever had a dog?"

They spent the remainder of the morning eating and talking in the diner. Betty had to go to Veronica's for the rest of the day, so Jughead was going to make the most of his time with her. He wished they could spend the whole day in the booth just talking about nothing and everything. Good god, he loved listening to her. To watch her tell stories. Just to notice the little things – the gestures she used, the exact intonation of her laugh, the way she casually used phrases like "you know?" even when she knew he didn't because it was her story. The way she tried to constantly draw him into her world.

The way she let him be a little part of her giant world.

His internal monologue used "forever" too many times when she spoke.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm so sorry about the delay! Double line break means a change in POV!**

* * *

The perks of being on Veronica's team of organisers for what she promised was going to be 'the best Riverdale New Years party ever' was that Betty found herself so exhausted by the end of the day, she would simply go to sleep. Her exhaustion didn't give her the space to worry about Polly, Jason, her mother, or anyone else. Another perk was that, although she basically tagged behind Veronica perpetually, carrying the enormous binder of planning, her best friend was so occupied with the party that Boston was yet to be brought up. However, in spite of all the perks, the one con put all of them to shame.

Betty hadn't properly seen Jughead since the day they had gone to Pop's. Well, that wasn't entirely true - they ran into each other occasionally on the stairwell but they rarely actually _met._

She didn't want to complain about it – after all, that would violate any laws of casualness that they had non-verbally set – but she was starting to get antsy. She hadn't seen him on the fire escape for days, either. It wasn't like they weren't communicating: they texted almost constantly, but the closer the party came, the less frequently texts were sent. In the beginning, they had become the cheesy people who wished each other good morning and good night but now Betty would wake up to find Jughead's good night text from the previous night plus his good morning text for the day. Sometimes she would text him back, other times Veronica would barge into her room, carrying a folder with a different colour, having found fault in the previous plan. And so the texting grew sparse too.

It was the day before New Year's Eve (or, as Betty liked to call it, New Year's Eve Eve) and Betty finally found some peace and quiet. Veronica was spending the day setting up the stage in the town centre, overseeing the lights, and making sure the electricity would work. She had decided that Archie would be her right hand man for the operation. Archie managed to convince her to pay him for helping her, which meant that Veronica had booked him for the whole day. In addition, it gave them the time they needed together, for while Betty was still keeping Jughead and her a secret, Veronica and Archie had completely embraced the honeymoon phase of their relationship, making out anywhere and everywhere.

 _Betty dropped the bag heavy with not one, not two, but three binders (courtesy of one Veronica Lodge) and leaned against her front door, sighing. She hooked the keys onto the rack and removed her rubber band, allowing her hair to fall free, enjoying the leftover ache from tying a ponytail too tight. She ran her fingers through her hair, ruffling it, and allowing it to settle while she kicked off her boots, putting on her bunny slippers instead. It was then that she heard the sound of her bedroom window closing hard. She froze, fear creeping into her heart, and her first thought was to call Jughead and tell him she was being robbed. But what if the burglar heard her voice? Instead, she texted him._

 _I'm pretty sure I'm being robbed. -B_

 _Grabbing the nearby coat hanger, she stalked towards her bedroom, slowly turning the corner to find Veronica crouched before her drawers, clad in nothing but a robe, furiously muttering to herself._

 _"V?!" Betty exclaimed and Veronica looked up, her eyes wide with a combination of fear and guilt at being caught in the act._

 _"Betty! Hey! Um, do you have a condom?"_

 _"Con – what? Wait, what? You told me I had to do a bunch of shit because you weren't well!" Betty exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing. Instantly shame and guilt shadowed Veronica's face as she awkwardly glanced at the drawers and then at Betty again._

 _"I wasn't well, I swear! Archie asked me to stop by, and I did, and things… he doesn't have a condom and I don't have any at my place so I came here," Veronica said, and Betty had to shut her eyes so that she wouldn't explode._

 _"Are you telling me that you broke into my house because neither of you had condoms? Did it not occur to you to ask first? Also, what if I needed them?" Veronica's laugh following this was somehow more insulting than her going through Betty's stuff._

 _"Oh, you're serious," Veronica concluded when Betty didn't join in with the laughter. Betty rolled her eyes and Veronica shrugged, "I'm sorry, B. I just assumed you would be too… busy for sex. I didn't mean to offend you."_

 _"You know what," Betty walked over to the drawers Veronica was crouching before and, opening the top-most one, took out the box she had and handed the box to Veronica. "Here. Just, please don't break into my house for condoms again. Or at least tell me beforehand."_

 _"Thanks, B! Also, it really isn't breaking in if you leave your window-" she stopped when she noticed the intense glare Betty was giving her, "- and that's my cue to leave. Thanks, Betty!"_

 _She disappeared through the window again and Betty sat down, rubbing her eyes, trying to understand what had just happened. In her peripheral vision, she noticed her phone light up and looked at it. There were three missed calls from Jughead, preceded by five texts._

 _Very funny, Betty. -J_

 _Wait, are you serious? -J_

 _Are you actually being robbed? -J_

 _Betty Cooper, answer your fucking messages! -J_

 _Okay, I'm coming over rn. Stay where you are. I'm calling 911. -J_

 _Betty couldn't help smiling at his concern as she quickly texted back._

 _No! it's all good. Veronica broke into my house – she wanted condoms. -B_

 _Yeah she just came back. You should really start locking your window yknow -J_

 _Wooow. Way to blame the victim, Jones. -B_

That was the last conversation they had had, and although Betty hated being the kind of person who kept track, it had happened a day ago. They had managed to go a whole day without talking and it was starting to kill Betty. So, now that she finally had a day off, she was planning to make the most of it. She woke up at seven due to her body clock and forced herself to go back to sleep for an extra hour before thinking about sauntering to Pop's. She knew Jughead would be working there, he had gotten back to it the day after their breakfast (much to Pop's delight).

After an internal debate about going to the diner, Betty decided that her pyjamas were a much more comfortable option and resorted to calling him. The first ring had barely finished when he picked up.

"Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, Cooper," was his greeting. Betty's heart ached when she heard his voice, only then realising how much she missed him. How much she missed her best friend.

"Good morning to you, too."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected call? And please don't say your finger slipped or that you butt dialed me," she could just see the face he made when he said this and it made her smile widen.

"No, actually, I was thinking… Veronica's chosen to replace me with Archie today. So, that means, I have the whole day to myself. So, I was just wondering what you were doing today."

"As tempting and enticing as that offer sounds, I'm afraid I have work today. Pop isn't back from vacation until the third and Dan is being, well, Dan. Someone has to keep this place running, right?"

"Can't you close early? It's New Years Eve Eve!" She protested and heard his deep chuckle on the other end. She could see him shaking his head at her excitement, with his signature amused smile curling his lips.

"Trust me, Betty, I would love nothing more than to be back home with you but," if she listened hard enough, Betty was sure she would hear her hopes come crashing down, "unfortunately I have to stay. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. What time do you get off?"

"Around seven. Working a double shift today."

"You do realise I have a day off, right?"

"Okay fine. I get off at six," he amended and she laughed.

"Good. I'll meet you at Pop's?"

"Sounds perfect. Hey, do you want to go for a late-night movie? We can have dinner and then go," he proposed, and she found herself nodding, even though he couldn't see. The thought of spending the night watching a movie together gave her an odd kind of comfort. "Betty?" His voice pulled her back to reality.

"Sounds perfect," she echoed with a smile before hanging up. Sitting in bed for a few moments, she tried reading a book but couldn't focus. Instead, she would constantly glance at the clock, trying to figure out what she could do to kill time until six. She decided to take a longer shower than usual, singing to herself as she did so. She managed to kill another hour in the shower, taking her time picking out her outfit for the day and blow drying her hair. It was weird to have nothing to worry about. To have a someone to look forward to instead of the usual something to hope would never come. She was about to walk to a cafe and get some breakfast when she felt her phone buzz.

 _Breakfast. My place. NOW. -K_

She frowned, simultaneously welcoming this company. Besides, it had been a while since she had hung out with Kevin, and she looked forward to it. In spite of the cryptic text.

Five minutes later, she was knocking on the Lodge-Keller household's door. She hadn't even gotten to the second knock when the door swung wide open, revealing Kevin looking incredibly dissatisfied about something. Without greeting her, he simply pulled her into the flat, leading a heavily protesting Betty to the couch, where he made her sit down.

"Wow, Kev, thanks for the breakfast," Kevin rolled his eyes but disappeared for a moment, reappearing with a plate of eggs, toast, and sausages.

"Unless you'd rather have pancakes," he said, holding out the plate. Betty shook her head, taking the plate. The breakfast had an agenda and, as much as she would have prefered pancakes, she was far too curious to wait another moment. He sat down beside her, holding a mug of coffee, staring at her, almost studying her. Betty frowned and gave a nervous laugh.

"As much as I appreciate the intense… gazing, was there a reason you called, Kev?"

"Okay," he began with renewed purpose, and Betty prepared herself for what was to come, "is 'Leave Kevin in the Dark' everyone's favourite game this holiday season? You know I have yet to find out information first hand? I found out about Archie and Veronica because I walked in on them in a… compromising position. It wasn't ideal but still – that's how I found out about them. But, you know what's worse? I had to find out about you and Jughead from Seth! From my boyfriend! I mean, do either of you even _know_ Seth's last name? Yeah, didn't think so. Basically, I'm just very-"

"Wait, Kevin," Betty interrupted, finally wrapping her head around his rant, "What do you mean me and Jughead? There is no Betty and Jughead."

"So you're saying that the two of you went on a breakfast date to Pop's as friends?" He raised his eyebrows – it was more of an accusation than a question. Betty chose not to meet his eye, training her stare on her only-once-touched breakfast.

"Yes. We're just friends, Kev," she mumbled unconvincingly. Part of her lack of attempt at convincing came from her genuinely wanting to tell Kevin. With Kevin this close to the truth, part of her wished he would just keep pushing her until she admitted to it so that she would have someone be as excited as she was about the one good thing she had in her life. "How did you even find out about it, anyway?"

"Dan is basically in love with Seth. And, since he is aware of my boyfriend's affinity for gossip, tries to win him over by constantly supplying him with conversations he's eavesdropped on," he explained with an air of impatience. "During one of these relay sessions, he mentioned that you and Jughead shared a booth and seemed very… intimate."

"What? Two people can't go to Pop's without it being a date?" She asked, carefully lacing her words with incredulity. To her dismay, Kevin's resolve didn't falter.

"Two people, sure. You and Jughead Jones, _no_ ," he rolled his eyes while speaking, and Betty's eyebrows rose. Immediately the past few months replayed in her mind's eye, searching for anything that may indicate even the hint of feelings.

"What does that mean?" She gave in and asked the question she knew Kevin was itching to be asked. A triumphant smile curled his lips and he smirked in glory for a moment before elaborating.

"Please. Betty, you may want to be an investigative journalist and your 'boyfriend' may be a mystery novel writer, but the two of you are literally the least subtle couple on this planet. And I say that as someone who has woken up to Veronica and Archie in the bedroom too many times now. I'm not even kidding when I say that those two have to sense of keeping it down. But anyway, that isn't the point. Point is, you, Betty Cooper, are dating Jughead Jones and I had to learn it from my boyfriend because someone else is in love with him."

"Kevin, Jughead and I aren't dating," she attempted again and Kevin could have won an award for the dramatisation of his eye roll following this statement. "I mean, just because we've had sex a few times doesn't mean we're _dating_ ," she elaborated and, this time, Kevin's eyes looked about ready to pop out of his head.

"Elizabeth Cooper! You've done _what?!"_

"Not what. Jughead," she gave him a smug smile, reveling in his shock. Kevin opened his mouth several times, processing the information alongside gulps of air. A minute of this passed and Kevin finally took a sip of his coffee as a last resort. Except, instead of sipping his coffee like Betty expected him too, he chugged it down in one go, placing the mug on the table hard as if it were a shot glass. "Careful, Kev, you'll break the mug."

"No," he finally spoke and Betty had to fight a smile of amusement, "No, no, no. We are _not_ going to talk about how hard I put down a mug. What we _are_ going to talk about is you and Jughead."

"So, you've formulated questions, then?"

"Rude, Betty. Very rude," he placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "I'm in shock and I think I'm allowed that much considering the information I've received." Betty raised an eyebrow at him, deciding against pointing out that he already knew. "But, since you're wondering, yes. I do, in fact, have questions. One, when did this happen?"

"Christmas Eve," she lied – it had begun much before but she figured Christmas Eve was a solid enough beginning for the story of them.

 _The story of us._ There's a title Betty had never thought would exist.

"No, that's bullshit. When did it start?" He dismissed, making Betty frown in confusion.

"If you have an alternate answer, please. I'm all ears," she inquired, crossing her arms, waiting for him to proceed.

"I'd say Halloween was when it started," he replied with such promptness that Betty was taken aback for a moment, speechless. It was her turn to emulate a goldfish, searching for words to say, feeling more hostile with each passing moment of silence, watching Kevin's smirk grow. "Question two-"

"No, I would like to go back to-"

"Well too bad. I'm calling the shots and we are moving on. Question two, what does this mean for the two of you?"

"What do you mean what does it mean?"

"Are you guys together, was it a one time thing, what? I mean, from what I've heard it seems pretty solid, considering you went on a date and everything."

"What does a date prove about anything? Also, it wasn't a date. If Jughead and I had gone out for breakfast a month ago, none of you would be calling it a date."

"Ah, but you see, a month ago you weren't sleeping together. Or were you? Oh my god, Betty Cooper, were you guys doing it before Christmas? Also, what do you mean it wasn't a date? So you guys aren't dating but decided to go for breakfast after presumably having sex for the first time, anyway? What, just a coincidence? And don't tell me-"

"Jesus Christ, Keller, stop!" Betty's heart was thudding faster with each question since Kevin was methodically opening every gate she had been making an effort to keep shut, not ready to face all the questions her subconscious seemed to constantly be asking her. Kevin raised an eyebrow at this outburst but, much to Betty's relief, stopped pursuing the subject. Instead he leaned forward, waiting for the story. And, without allowing herself to think too much about it, Betty began. She decided to begin with Halloween, since that seemed to be her friend's point of reference and from there everything unfolded, including, but definitely not limited to, Boston. At the end of the story Kevin remained silent, staring at the ground in deep contemplation. This both amused and put Betty on guard as she attempted to read the million thoughts running through his mind.

"Well?" She finally prompted, giving in to curiosity. He glanced up, as if surprised she was still sitting there before he finally asked his question.

"Is Jughead good in bed? He seems like he would be," the question, in itself, was simple, but Betty felt herself go completely red. For a moment she envied the fact that Kevin would never have to ask Veronica this question about Archie considering Veronica was about as soft as the birds at five in the morning when it came to sex.

"He's… adequate," Betty responded when she felt as if his eyes would burn through her. Kevin's eyebrows raised higher than before at this confession, and he burst out laughing, worrying Betty when he didn't stop after a full minute.

"I can't believe you just said that," he managed to say, reeling in the laughter. "Wow. I'm not sure how Jughead would react to being considered 'adequate' Betts. I mean, it doesn't exactly sound like a compliment."

"Well it is," Betty crossed her arms, effectively closing any further discussion on the matter. Kevin nodded although she could tell he was still stifling laughter. Deciding to leave him to deal with this fit he had entered, Betty took the plates and mugs into the kitchen, ignoring Kevin's protests, to put them in the sink to soak. She had no actual intention of washing them, she just wanted to leave the room. Her hand itched to pull out her phone and tell Jughead about this – she felt suddenly apologetic for calling him adequate. After all, she knew for a fact that he had been more than enough and that he deserved greater praise than she seemed capable of delivering. She decided against calling him immediately – she would tell him at the movie that she had managed to break the unspoken rule they had put down about not telling anyone.

"So," Kevin broke her train of thought by entering the kitchen. She turned around to face him, crossing her arms instinctively as her guard went up at potential questioning. "You guys aren't labeling anything, huh?"

"That's right."

"And you're sure that's the best course of action? I mean, no offence Betty, but I've never seen you in an… undefined situation, I guess. If you're sure this is what you want then obviously it's not my place to say anything but as your friend I feel like it's my duty to ensure that you're not getting into something you might not be one hundred percent okay with," he made her smile at his concern, and Betty lowered her arms, taking his hand.

"I appreciate it, Kev. I know Jughead was the one who proposed 'no labels' but it isn't like I'm not on board with the whole thing. It's nice to be free of labels, you know? My entire life I've been either the perfect daughter, the girl next door, the nerd, the marriage-material girlfriend. But with Jughead, I don't know, it's just different. It's like I don't have to be all those things because, even after I told him about my family, about Polly, about who I was in college and school and my entire Archie… thing, he still treats me as if I'm brand new in his life and he doesn't see me as anything but me. It's-" she paused because of the way Kevin was staring at her – slightly wide-eyed and with his lips turned up in a slightly surprised smile, "why are you looking at me like that?" He instantly checked himself, shaking his head ever so slightly and looking away as if something were in his eye and he hadn't just been watching her in awe.

"Nothing it's just… you seem happy, Betty," he finally admitted, and Betty smiled, although she suspected that it wasn't the entirety of his thought process.

"I am, Kev. I really am."

"Good," he said and, although leaving it out of the sentence, the phantom of "it's about time" hung in the air between them. "So, when are you seeing him next? I assume you've been swamped with New Years planning?"

"Yes, well, today it's Archie's turn to be Veronica's minion. Therefore I am meeting Jughead for a movie tonight. I suppose we'll have dinner at Pop's beforehand, though."

"Dinner and a movie?" Kevin's eyes shone with amusement and Betty glared at him, daring him to call it a date. Raising his hands in surrender, he took a step back in defeat. "I'm not saying anything. You guys totally aren't dating even though dinner and a movie is the oldest date in the book, but nope, you guys are totally just two pals hanging out. Oh, Betts, you remember Moose Mason?"

"How could I forget," Betty's guard rose again, in preparation for whatever quip was coming.

"He used to call the two of us pals too. I mean I'm not saying you and Jughead are in a similar situation, but…" he trailed off with a shrug. Betty rolled her eyes, deciding against every retort that came to mind since none seemed sufficient for the situation. Not to mention, Kevin's insistence on this being a date made her wonder if that was what Jughead was calling it in his mind. And, if he was, did that mean they were open to labels? That would open a whole new floodgate that Betty was not ready for. "Hey, Betty, it's okay," once again, Kevin pulled her out of her train of thought, probably noticing her forehead creasing as she mulled over everything he had said. "I was just teasing. It's obviously fine if you guys are taking it slow in the labels department. You know what? Forget I said anything."

"You're not wrong, though. What if—"

"Don't listen to me, Betty. I'm an idiot. You know what? You have until six, right? Let's hang out today, okay? Just the two of us. I feel like it's been long overdue. We can just go out for a picnic, maybe do some shopping, go to the library – I know that always calms you down. Whatever will help redeem me. How does that sound?" Kevin's sincerity when it came to apologies was the one thing Betty had always loved about him. It was why their friendship had stood the test of time. Well, that and Veronica's swooping in and ensuring that they never fell out of touch. But Betty prefered attributing it to her own friendship skills, which is why she found herself agreeing to spend the day with Kevin.

* * *

Jughead hung up with a sigh, glancing as the screen turned off and the pink diner sign reflected in the black glass. He found himself wishing to be back in the flat, just in bed with Betty. He felt like he hadn't seen her in ages – which was somewhat true considering it had been days and they had only crossed paths on the stairwell a handful of times. Usually she left really early and got back very late, meaning she was incredibly exhausted and never seemed to want company no matter how many hints Jughead dropped about going to her place with takeout. Every time they met on the stairs, he would make a move to kiss her and, every time, she would duck out of the way as Veronica appeared. After a point, Jughead began to wonder whether Veronica specifically waited for him to decide to attempt a kiss before showing herself. After all, if Archie Andrews of all people were aware of his attraction to Betty, it would be less than surprising that Veronica shared his awareness in the matter.  
The diner was empty and more than once Jughead glanced at the door, wondering how bad the consequences would be if he simply disappeared for an hour. He tried rationalising these thoughts, blaming the cold weather for this sudden bout of caring he felt towards Betty. During the tenth time in this little routine, the clock struck twelve, and right on schedule, the first customers came in. They were a cute couple, rubbing their hands together and blowing on them to fight the biting air. The girl was practically bouncing on her feet as they approached the counter. Her girlfriend pulled her close, hugging her to warm her through osmosis for a bit while she glanced through the menu.

"What do you recommend?" She turned her attention on Jughead, shooting him a bedazzling grin.

"Everything's brilliant. But personally, the burgers are to die for," he replied, with a wink.

"Two cheeseburgers, then. And, coffee, babe?" The girl nodded through chattering teeth and, giving him another grin, the former led her away from the counter to a booth. Jughead went to the back, finding Dan reading a magazine. A bit of threat-laced convincing later, Dan was flipping patties while Jughead returned to the register. There were already three more groups waiting and, behind him, he heard the kitchen door creak open as more chefs shuffled in for the lunch shift. He swiftly took orders and soon enough the scent of burgers and coffee was wafting through the diner.

The lunch shift reminded Jughead why he loved working at the diner – the variety of people that passed through made his imagination run wild. Since he rarely had a steady source of entertainment in the diner, save the soft jukebox in the corner - usually playing some jazz, he resorted to watching the customers, trying to weave stories about their lives. Occasionally one would sit at the counter and he would enjoy a conversation, asking them various questions, trying to get at least a tenth of the picture that was their life. Most times he found people weren't too receptive to conversing and prefered to watch something or listen to music while wolfing down whatever edible item was placed before them. It used to anger him that they didn't appreciate Pop's food for the masterpiece it was but now he was used to it. He had even adjusted his conversational skills accordingly – asking them what they were watching, listening to, or reading. Sometimes they were incredibly excited and spent the next half hour telling him about their interests but often they would give curt, single-syllable answers, choosing to ignore any further questions he attempted asking. The ideal candidate for conversing today was an old woman who entered the diner on the phone with someone, arguing about how she thought she had been ordering a dog on Craigslist but instead received a male prostitute. It seemed she was trying to convince the person on the other end that she had, in fact, been wearing her glasses and could tell it was a man, not a "very big dog". Jughead relayed her order to the kitchen and, with a giant smile, was ready to return to get the story when the bell over the door tinkled and a woman with striking pink and purple streaked hair entered the diner, making Jughead's heart nearly stop.

Time slowed down momentarily as Jughead watched her every movement – the way her hair shimmered when she pulled it out of its high ponytail, the bright diner sign only augmenting her colours; the way she shrugged off her coat but left on her signature leather jacket; the way her mascara-heavy lashes fluttered against her cheek as she blinked and glanced around the diner; the way her perfectly glossed darkish pink lips parted into a wide smile when her eyes fell on him.

In that moment he felt transported back to France, watching her from the other side of the bar.

 _Her braids swayed around her as she flitted up and down the bar, leaving a slightly lovestruck Jughead to watch her move, as if on air. She noticed him looking and blushed slightly, tucking a stray strand behind her ear as she approached him. She picked up his glass and wiped under it in one quick motion._

 _"You're going to have to order something if you want to stay," she spoke softly, as if only for him even though the bar was rather crowded. She cocked her head to one side, amusement gleaming in her eyes and radiating with her smile._

 _"More water, then," he replied and she feigned disappointment._

 _"And here I thought you'd live on the wild side a little," she shrugged but left, taking his glass and bringing it back full of water. She opened her mouth to say something more but someone called her from the other end, and much to Jughead's displeasure, she left. He continued to watch her until she was called to the back office by the manager. This gave Jughead a moment to look around. The back of the bar was covered in photographs (that is, above the shelves of bottles). Ranging from black and white to a dulled colour, they were photographs of people doing ordinary things like reading a book or walking, but the framing and the moments that were captured made them tell stories of their own. In fact, Jughead could already see the mystery forming around most of them. Toni returned during this moment of admiration, apologising for leaving him._

 _"It's okay," he said absentmindedly, still focused on the pictures. "Do you know who took these?" He asked, pointing at the photographs. Instantly her cheeks flushed and she avoided his gaze._

 _"I did," she answered bashfully. Jughead's eyes widened at this information while Jellybean's words, asking him to find a photographer for his cover ran in his mind. "You like them?"_

 _"Like them? T, they're_ brilliant! _Hey, how much to buy one?"_

 _"Jug, you know I can give you my photos for free, right? We're friends," her blush deepened at his compliment, leading her words to come out as a murmur with the bare minimum coherence._

 _"Okay, well, how much do you charge for your services?"_

 _"You want to hire me?" Incredulity coloured her tone with her eyes saying 'yeah right'. With fervour in his nod, Jughead hoped she understood the sincerity of his compliment and the seriousness of this proposition. The legitimacy sunk in and her smile faded, her brow furrowing. "Um, I don't know. I've never professionally photographed before."_

 _"Okay, so I was speaking to Jellybean the other day and the new book's almost done. All I need now is a cover photographer with an amazing eye and a hunger for social justice and I'll be set. So, what do you say?"_

 _"You want me to do cover photography for your book? I mean, I'm honoured, but are you sure about this?"_

 _"Toni, if this is what your photography is like then your eye is exactly what I need," he wanted to say much more. He wanted to tell her how much he admired the skill she had and how incredible he thought she was at doing this. "You know what? Why don't you do a bit of research about rates and stuff and let me know by, say, tomorrow? Just name your price and you're hired, okay?" Seemed to be the best he could manage since words decided to fail him every time he attempted at a greater compliment. He could tell she was slightly stunned as she nodded, a smile slowly creeping onto her face as she comprehended what had just happened._

She wore the same smile now as she approached the counter. Jughead could feel the goosebumps making the hair on his arms rise and he folded them in a last ditch attempt to prevent her from noticing, although he doubted it would help. Toni was one of the most observant people he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Yet he couldn't help realise the drastic difference in the reaction he seemed to be having to her smile. Where it used to inspire butterflies and general awestruck happiness, there now pooled dread mixed with a feeling of rather being anywhere else.

Each step she took seemed to impale him with icicles of anxiety.

"So," her voice, in its careful nonchalance, seemed to restart time and make it move at a normal pace, "this is Riverdale, huh?"

"What can I get you?" Jughead asked, subconsciously choosing a distant demeanor in an attempt to mirror her nonchalance. He knew she probably saw right through his act – another one of Toni's little quirks. It used to pay off that she knew him better than the back of her hand but now it seemed to be a virtue easily weaponized. Confirming his suspicions, she rolled her eyes.

"Hey Toni, it's good to see you. Good to see you too, Jughead. It's been so long, how are you? I'm great! How are you? I'm good too! Just keeping myself busy, y'know?" She played out a scenario in front of him and now it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"I could say that but I'm afraid I'd be lying first sentence onwards," he finally met her eyes, pulling an expression of annoyance. Pressing her lips together, she gave a curt nod.

"I'll have some cheese fries, please," she ordered and Jughead adopted an agonizingly slow pace to relay the order. In spite of his attempt to spend more than necessary time, the chore ended too quickly and Jughead was forced to return to the counter. He hoped a line would be waiting for him but only found a man on the phone, who ordered a coffee and sat at the far end of the bar while Toni took the seat closest to the cash register. Jughead's fingers itched to call someone – to call Betty – and tell her about this development.

 _No, you need to talk to her first._ His conscience told him and he shut his eyes momentarily to focus on breathing through the situation; he was sure if he thought too much about it, he would have to excuse himself and go outside. Memories including Toni Topaz had so far been safely locked away in his mind, under the "Never Revisit" folder, but it seemed life had other plans for him. This moment of breathing was for the wall blocking the memories to solidify so that his tone remained cool and clipped, rather than outright hostile. With this thought, he resigned himself to being behind the register instead of moving towards the counter.

That is, until the cheese fries were ready.

When Dan called out "cheese fries!" Jughead's stomach instantly dropped. Against all instinct, he dragged his feet and picked up the fries, turning around to face Toni, who seemed slightly annoyed at the lack of attention she was receiving. When Jughead placed the fries before her and moved to return to his safe spot behind the register, she said, "Seriously? You're not even going to say hi? I mean, I came all the way from fucking France for this lack of welcome? Are you actually kidding me, right now, Jones?"

"What are you doing here, Toni?" He whipped around to face her, hissing his words instead of speaking them. Her amusement only fueled the anger he felt at her audacity to bring up France as one of the first things she assumed was appropriate to say to him.

"Would it be so inconceivable that I thought I made a mistake and came here to see you?" She caught him off guard with this question and he stared at her speechless, before she guffawed. Her laughter only brought back the rage and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Low blow, Topaz."

"I'm sorry! It's just – you should have seen your face! Relax, I'm not here to fuck with your life or anything. I'm just here for payment."

"For what exactly?"

" _Payment._ You know, the thing you have to do when I find someone for you? Especially considering Ms. Cooper wasn't an easy person to find at all. In fact, if I hadn't accidentally found her kids through that other family's elementary school-" her words brought back memories of exchanged emails, too. Things Jughead had deemed unnecessary and trivial until this point.

"Okay stop! What do you mean, payment? I already paid when I asked you to do the job, remember?"

"That's not entirely true," she looked away, guilt clouding her features. "You sent the money to Sweet Pea. Who has since taken the money, and Fangs, and disappeared."

" _Disappeared?"_ Jughead couldn't believe his ears. He also couldn't believe that someone as loyal as Sweet Pea would double cross Toni this way. But he decided not to question it, even though he was sure this wasn't the full story. Instead, quickly regaining composure, he crossed his arms and, adopting an air of righteousness, shrugged. "Well, that's hardly my fault, is it? Toni, your job is finding people so why don't you, oh I don't know, _find_ Sweet Pea?"

"Because he was my best asset," she replied through gritted teeth, something deeper than rage making her face flush. Betrayal. "The problem with Sweet Pea pulling a disappearing act is that he's the only one who would be able to find himself."

"That is a problem. But, again, I don't see how that is my problem."

"It isn't your problem. It's just that I've managed to exhaust the resources I have in trying to find him. The monetary resources, that is. So, I guess I'm asking you for… some of that?" It was Jughead's turn to grin with incredulity at what he was hearing. Of all the reasons he had imagined Toni coming here, money had somehow never made it on the list. This was especially considering that after all the photography she had done for him – earning her enough to start her own PI company, no matter how small it was – she was pretty much set in the literary world for the next few years at least. "Well don't look too surprised," she mumbled, noticing his expression and Jughead tried erasing the amusement to no avail.

"Sorry it's just… wow. I never thought you'd come all the way from France to ask me for money. Wait, why did you come all the way from there? You could have just called or emailed about the money. You didn't have to come here."

"Yeah I'm not here only for the money. I got a job and since I can barely pay my employees, I decided to get my ass here and work the case myself."

"What's the case?"

"Someone called Cheryl Blossom wants me to investigate some fire that happened years ago. Apparently she found the company online and decided to contact it. I don't know, Jug. At this point I'd take any job that came my way and this did, so here I am."

"Here you are indeed. So how long are you planning to stay, exactly?"

"However long it takes to solve the case, I guess? I mean the town seems nice enough."

"Says the girl literally investigating a case of possible arson."

"There's a reason perfect is an ideal, Jones," she shrugged, finishing the cheese fries as she did. "Anyway, so I was wondering, since I don't know anyone here and am basically broke, maybe I could stay at yours?"

"No," Jughead said without missing a beat. He could already see the reaction Archie – or worse, Betty – would have if they found the girl who broke his heart in an almost literal sense. He didn't want to have to deal with that. Besides, the thought of Betty meeting Toni was something Jughead decided he could live without. Toni, on the other hand, seemed offended by the haste and promptness of his response.

"Why not, pray tell?"

"Because you're my ex-girlfriend and it would be weird as fuck," he decided that profanity gave way to the greatest honesty. "Besides, I can just pay for any room you want to stay in, it's cool. Just pick a place and you can stay there. As long as it isn't over the top expensive," he added when he noticed the gears turning in her head. Toni nodded, slowly grinning again. Then she hopped off the stool and gave him a nod in farewell.

"I'll text you the details of my lodging. And, Jug?"

"What?"

"I know you may find this hard to believe, but it is good to see you," the softness with which she spoke struck his heart, and Jughead felt transported back to lazy afternoons in France once again. However, as he couldn't return the sentiment, he simply gave her a nod in return and watched her leave, feeling the knot in his chest only loosen once the revving of her motorcycle had left the diner's driveway.

 _Six o'clock can't get here fast enough_ , Jughead thought.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm so sorry about the delay but it's an extra long chapter so I hope it makes up for it? Probably not.**

 **Line break means change in POV.**

* * *

Six seemed to come much faster than before, and before Betty knew it, the diner was welcoming her with the scent of coffee, muffins, and burgers after a long day spent in the same clothes. All Betty could think about the whole way there was how much of a mess she probably looked like, and yet, the second she walked through the diner door and locked eyes with Jughead, the smile he gave her made any insecurity she had melt away. She knew what he would say if she told him about this – _Betty you shouldn't need anyone to tell you you're beautiful. You are under no obligation to meet society's beauty standards. Fuck society –_ and that was why she chose to keep it from him. She allowed the way he made her feel like she was made of precious stone be her own little secret.

"You ready?" She asked, approaching the counter. Jughead nodded eagerly, pulling off his hat and going into the back and changing. She heard him shout some orders at Dan before stepping out from behind the counter and joining her in a booth. The burgers and hot chocolate arrived soon enough, almost as soon as they settled in, in fact.

"So, how was your day?" Jughead asked, once they had tucked into their burgers a bit, satiating the immediate hunger. Betty smiled, recounting her day. It had been one of the best and most relaxed in a while. She and Kevin shopped a little before going to a spa and just spending the day there. She couldn't remember the last time she had truly decided to treat herself, and yet that was what she had spent the entirety of New Year's Eve Eve doing. In addition, she was finally able to talk about Jughead as the person she was currently involved with _romantically_ (or, at the very least, sexually) instead of just pretending they were entirely platonic and just "really good friends."

"I know we kinda have an unspoken rule about not telling anyone but Kevin figured out about us on his own," she told him after giving him the play-by-play of her day. "Apparently Dan snitched on us when we had breakfast here after Christmas," she whispered the last part, feigning secrecy in the matter. However, in spite of only spending a grand total of five minutes with Jughead, Betty already felt like they were the only two there and nobody else mattered.

"Because of course he did. Anyway, so I'm guessing then you spilled the beans and told Kevin everything," Jughead said matter-of-factly. His tone was so factual that, had he not spoken the complete, unadulterated truth, Betty might have actually been offended by his lack of faith in her ability to keep a secret.

"Yeah, he even asked how you were in bed," she decided it was her turn to make him uncomfortable and, to her immense delight, he choked on his hot chocolate, breaking into a coughing fit when she mentioned the word "bed." She watched in amusement as he reigned in the cough with continuous sips of water. "You okay?"

"Totally fine," he spluttered. "What did you say?"

"I said you were adequate," she found herself wishing for another bout of coughing but settled for the wide-eyed horror with which Jughead was now staring at her.

"In a… good way?" He seemed to be choosing his words with great care, only increasing her amusement.

"In an amazing way," she amended and he nodded, still seeming unsure. Deciding to change the subject, she turned the question back on him. "How was your day?" If Betty had blinked, she would have missed that momentary crease in his brow that followed the question – the way he sifted through information, filtering out things he either didn't deem important enough to tell her or thought she didn't deserve to know. Betty sincerely hoped neither was the case.

"It was fine," he decided on. She raised her eyebrows, asking him to elaborate, so he told her a story about a woman who thought she was buying a dog and ended up with a male escort. The excitement with which he told the story sufficiently distracted Betty from her worry about his keeping secrets from her.

A motorcycle ride later, they were at the theatre and Jughead got the tickets while Betty stood awkwardly, glancing around. It was only in this bout of awkwardness did Betty realise that they hadn't actually picked a movie they were going to watch. _Love, Simon_ was still playing (Betty figured that Kevin deserved sole credit for that), but so were a bunch of other they glanced at the list, Betty noticed that Jughead's gaze lingered for a moment longer on _An_ _American Werewolf in London_ before moving on. Since she had never seen _American Werewolf in London,_ she decided it was as good a movie as any.

"So, what do you want to see?" Jughead asked, attempting at an off-hand air in spite of evident preference.

"How about _An American Werewolf in London_?" She replied and his eyebrows nearly disappeared into the curls falling over his forehead.

"You want to watch _American Werewolf?_ "

"Well, I've seen all the others," she lied. She hadn't seen most of the movies on the list, but the sheer joy glistening in his eyes at her mention of this film was enough for her to know she had made the right choice. Jughead, in all his perceptive glory, seemed to catch her fib about seeing the movies, but nodded nonetheless, his smile widening, giving her an appreciative nod.

"Well don't look too surprised," she rolled her eyes, unable to fight the smile.

"Sorry. I just – I didn't realise you were an _American Werewolf_ kind of girl," he admitted, evidently abashed, and Betty grinned. He wasn't wrong, she wouldn't usually jump at the opportunity to watch a movie like this, but she wasn't going to let him know. She gave him a coy smile instead.

"That's where you're wrong Jughead Jones. I'm all about the beast within," she took a strategic sip of her coke, making him laugh at the dramatic nature of her words. Once inside the theatre, while Jughead left to use the washroom, Betty pulled out her phone and quickly Googled the movie. The second she read that it was under the "horror" genre, she wanted to leave. Ever since Archie, Veronica, and Kevin had forced her to watch _The Exorcist,_ Betty had completely cut herself off from horror movies. Even reading the word gave her flashbacks.

 _For Jughead, Betty._ Played on loop in her mind, each time louder than the last. The volume wasn't to cement the decision so much as to drown out a voice that sounded a lot like Kevin's, telling her that the movie being of this particular genre made it more date-like than anything else. Luckily for her, Jughead soon returned, and although the question of this being a date plagued her mind, she decided not to bring it up until she had managed to sit through the movie. However, due to her distraction, she found herself constantly glancing at the man sitting beside her, enjoying how immersed he was in the film while her fingers itched for his. Occasionally he would catch her staring and give her a small smile before returning his attention to the screen.

The credits rolled and Jughead finally gave her his full attention. In spite of the horror, Betty had found herself comparing it to _The Exorcist,_ which meant this was more comedy than horror.

"Well?" Jughead asked, eager for her opinion. Managing the fakest smile Betty had conjured up in a while, she nodded enthusiastically. His face, in response, fell. "It's okay, Cooper, you don't have to pretend you liked it."

"I did! The werewolves were… pretty cool," she attempted half-heartedly.

Jughead rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless, appreciating the effort.

"Shall we get out of here, then?" She nodded with the enthusiasm he had shown while watching the movie and he motioned toward the door with a resigned sigh. It was freezing when they stepped out and, although Betty was wearing a jacket, she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them to warm herself up. Jughead noticed and shrugged off his jacket to give her an extra layer – which only made it more date-like in Betty's mind.

"I'm fine," she refused and he frowned, seeming almost offended that she didn't take it.

"You're cold, Betts. Just take it," he tried putting it on her but she immediately shrugged it off, almost letting it fall onto the wet road if Jughead hadn't swooped in and caught it.

"You're going to catch a cold," he said, matter-of-factly and Betty shrugged, accepting her fate. Jughead shook his head at her idiocy and left to bring the motorcycle, muttering under his breath. They had a silent ride back to the flat, and while Betty wanted to attribute it to the wind whistling in their ears, she knew it was because of how emphatically she had denied his jacket. The silence continued when they reached the apartment and, as they trudged up the stairs, all possible conversations ran through Betty's mind, only one prevailing as the right way to approach this.

They reached Jughead's flat and he turned to face her before going in. "I guess this is goodnight," he said it with the same tone as someone would use when saying goodbye.

"Tonight was fun."

She tried to add some levity to the situation and he scoffed.

"I – I'm sorry about… earlier. That was weird," she said.

His eyebrows rose, in disbelief of receiving an actual apology, it seemed.

"Yeah." He also seemed glad that she brought it up. "Why did you do that?"

"I'm an idiot, that's why."

"Okay, but apart from the obvious."

It was her turn to look at him with disbelief. She received a smirk in response, which soothed her since it meant he had forgiven her.

"When I spoke to Kevin about this… us, I told him that we were going for the movie and he, well, called it a date."

"Ah. And that made you uncomfortable."

"It's just… the more I thought about it, the more date-like it seemed. And, I don't know, I was wondering – was this a date?"

"It's whatever you want it to be, Betty," he replied after a moment of thought. Betty sighed. She had been worried that this would be his take on the subject. After all, if there's anything she knew about Jughead, it was that he was almost as bad as making decisions as she was.

"Okay but what about what _you_ want it to be, Jug? I mean, we're in this together aren't we?"

"This really isn't a conversation we should be having out in the hall. Do you want to come in?"

"Is Archie home?"

"Do you think I'd invite you in if he was?"

"Fair point," she walked in while he held the door open and he followed, locking it behind him. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to answer her question.

"Do you want some coffee?"

"No, I want an answer."

"What do you want me to say, Betts? That I wish I could call this a date and know we were on the same page about it? That I wish I could hold your hand in public without worrying about Veronica or Archie or anyone else knowing we were… what? What are we even doing?"

" _You_ said no labels, Jughead," she retorted, now hating herself for bringing this up.

"I know! _I_ said no labels which meant I made my move. The ball is now in your court, Betty and it's up to you to either move this forward – which, FYI, would require labels – or simply keep it stagnant. It's up to you," he repeated in staccato and Betty's eyes widened. She felt herself in disbelief yet again, except this time it was coloured red and bordered on madness rather than flirtation.

"But why! I mean, we're in this together, aren't we? Why are we on opposite sides of the net, then? Shouldn't we be on the same side of the court? If you had such a problem with this arrangement, don't you think you should have brought it up earlier and then we could have a normal, _adult_ conversation about it, rather than a childish screaming match?"

"And how exactly do you propose I would even broach the topic? 'Hey Betty, I know it was I, Jughead fucking Jones, who said no labels but now I kinda want to call you my girlfriend now so how about it'?" He asked and her eyes widened at the confession. She knew it had been there, lying under all the words they had been throwing at each other but she wasn't sure if he would actually say it. His eyes widened too in realisation of what he had said. "I didn't mean – if you don't want to, obviously-" she took three quick, long steps towards him and kissed him. "Is that a yes?" He asked, breathlessness roughening his voice.

"Just take your top off," she replied, shrugging off her jacket and kicking off her shoes. He laughed and pulled off his sweater before doing the same to hers.

* * *

The party was in full swing when Jughead arrived – the town square buzzing with people drinking and talking around with a projected countdown on a giant screen. Betty had left long before Jughead had woken up, and he had come very begrudgingly to this place. She was his only motivation to be here. He climbed onto the slide in the playground nearby and, from this vantage point, scanned the crowd for a blonde, hyperactive woman, possibly carrying a clipboard with an attached pen. He wasn't even sure what she was wearing but decided that it couldn't be too hard to identify her. To his horror, before he ever identified her, he spotted pink and purple hair in a distance, accompanied with an unbelievably short top considering the weather. What Toni was even doing at this thing was beyond him. It was one of the things they had bonded over: they both hated crowded spaces. And yet here she was, grinning and laughing with people and – his stomach dropped by nearly a foot – Betty was walking in her direction. He all but jumped off the slide and sprinted across the square, pushing people out of his way until he reached Betty. Her face broke out into a grin when she saw him running toward her and he slowed his pace, panting as the distance between them closed.

"Juggie, hey! Um, are you okay? Do you want water or a chair?" Amusement coloured her tone but her eyes shone with concern for his breathlessness.

"No, I'm okay. You just take my breath away, Cooper," he replied, eliciting a laugh from her as she nodded.

"Someone's in a good mood," she commented, and although she couldn't have been further from the truth, he decided to nod his agreement.

"Well, it's a great party," he said, justifying himself.

The shift in Betty's expression was evident as she grinned, looking around with pride.

"Isn't it? I still have no idea how Veronica managed to get a permit for the alcohol in a public space, but hey, that's what happens when she sets her mind to something, I guess. I'm actually more impressed you're here. I mean, it's really sweet. I know this isn't exactly your scene."

She smiled and Jughead frowned at her in mock hurt at her surprise.

"What? Attending a New Year's party in the town square surrounded by drunk people? It's totally on my bucket list."

She chuckled at his response and, casting a furtive glance around to ensure no one was watching, leaned up and kissed him quickly. He was impressed and somewhat honoured that she was actually taking this chance. Looking over her head, he briefly locked eyes with Toni, whose eyes widened when she realised his attention and was clearly about to move toward him. Instantly turning his attention back to Betty, he said, "Well, why don't you give me the grand tour?"

She agreed and they began walking as she pointed out the various stalls, the kids section, where you could get the red cups of booze, and more. With time, he managed to put Toni completely out of his mind and focused entirely on the tour and his _girlfriend_ (he was still getting used to being able to call her that).

As things are usually ruined for him, it was only a matter of time before Toni actually interrupted this tour, appearing before them, and making Jughead see red instantly. Betty seemed completely oblivious to Toni's presence (Jughead would never understand how, in such a small town, Betty still remained beautifully ignorant of the goings-on around her) and therefore displayed a considerate amount of surprise and hospitality when his pink-haired ex appeared. Toni, all smiles as she usually was, grinned and said, "Am I interrupting something? Hi, I'm Antoinette."

She extended her hand to Betty, who took it reluctantly but happily enough.

"Betty Cooper," she replied.

"Jughead, um, I was hoping we could have a word about the little situation we're in," Toni turned her attention to him and Jughead frowned.

"Your situation is yours alone. There is no 'we'," he hissed and Betty frowned at him.

"Jug, are you okay? Wait, do you two know each other?"

"Biblically," Toni replied and Jughead glowered at her – it was a predictable response and he didn't care for it. He watched as realisation dawned on Betty, the pieces fitting together in her mind.

"Antoinette," she repeated while Toni watched her with amusement. "As in Toni? Wait, you're Toni Topaz? _The_ Toni Topaz?"

"My reputation precedes me," Toni seemed oddly proud that Betty had heard of her, only making Jughead angrier. "Now that we're all on the same page, Jughead?" He was about to protest when he saw Betty shake her head beside him.

"You should go, Jughead," her tone was accusatory and a little bitter. Jughead opened his mouth to answer and tell her he wasn't going anywhere when he noticed the way she was looking at him – begging him to leave so she could make sense of the situation on her own before asking him for an explanation. She was also daring him to disagree with her after the information she had just learnt.

"You won't even know I'm gone," he promised and she smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it once to reassure him that she wasn't mad before he left. When he and Toni had walked a distance away to a quieter location, he turned to face her. "I'm already paying for your lodging, Topaz, what more do you want?"

"A little less hostility maybe? Jeez, Jones," she seemed genuinely taken aback that he wasn't pleased to be pulled away to talk to her. "And are you planning to hold that over me forever? I mean, seriously. But anyway, the reason I pulled you aside is because I need your help."

"My help?"

"Well, don't sound too surprised. You know the magazine your girlfriend works at?"

"The one Reggie Mantle runs? I'm familiar, yes."

"Well, before Reggie started running the place, there was a giant fire there. All records were lost, andthe people who owned the magazine were run into the ground with the losses. It closed for a while before the Blossom family bought it from the previous company – dirt cheap, might I add – and placed Reggie in charge as their pawn."

"I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"Cheryl suspects that her family was responsible for burning down the company so that they could buy it at rock-bottom price and build a fortune on it. The thing is, when the fire happened, there were people inside the building who never made it out. The fire department called it an accident, but Cheryl doesn't think it was."

"You're telling me that Cheryl Blossom thinks her family murdered a bunch of people to buy, what? A shitty magazine that people read on the toilet? Do you know how crazy that sounds? Also, I repeat, what does this have to do with me?" He asked, hoping he wouldn't have to get tangled up in the mess Toni was explaining to him. She sighed and shook her head.

"You don't understand. We need you to help us prove the arson. The people who died, they had families Jughead. One couple left behind two orphaned kids. It was disgusting, dirty business."

"That still doesn't explain _why_ they would do it."

"They weren't able to force the Coopers to give them the Register so they turned to the next best thing. They wanted to take over the free press and use the magazine to get people to vote Cheryl's father into power. And after Cheryl ran them out of Riverdale, the only way they could continue their influence was through this company and Cheryl wants to take it away from them. She also wants to expose them for the arson and murder. But we can't do it without inside help and since Betty works there, I was hoping-"

"No. No fucking way am I letting Betty get caught up in all this. Even if all this is true – and that's an enormous if – it sounds like dangerous business and I would prefer it if Betty – whose sister, may I add, mothers twins with one of the Blossoms – were left out of it. Also, it's not like you to go entirely on the word of one person. Have you actually done any investigation of your own?"

"I mean, I've checked some of the sources that Cheryl gave, and they seem pretty legit."

"Pretty legit isn't good enough. Not if you want my help bringing someone to justice for murder. Also, how did something like this even happen in Riverdale? It's such a small town."

"Doesn't mean there aren't bad people here. But, Juggie, just think about it. If you and Betty help us bring down the Blossoms for this, Reggie would have to leave his post and you could buy the magazine and Betty could run it. Isn't that what she's always wanted anyway?"

"How the fuck do you know about that?"

"Like I said, I do my research." Toni shrugged, infuriating Jughead by the second. But her mention of placing Betty in charge of the magazine was making the gears in his mind turn. "Jug, it's not like she needs to do much. Cheryl and I have put together a majority of the case anyway. We just need one inside source to dig up records of the feud for the magazine from before the fire and, even though Betty told Cheryl those didn't exist, I'm sure there's proof somewhere. We just need her to find it so we can tie it up with a nice big bow. It's really not that dangerous, when you think about it." Jughead narrowed his eyes at her – they both knew that was a lie and something Betty could lose her job over. But with solving an actual murder (and not to mention arson) on the table, he was finding it hard to say no. He could already see Toni's smile of triumph growing as she watched his resolve splinter. Slowly he began to nod and she clapped her hands together, grinning. "Great! I knew you'd say yes! I'll go let Cheryl know. Thanks, Juggie." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which made him recoil with disgust. In his mind, he already decided that this was going to be a strictly professional relationship.

He couldn't find Betty anywhere when he returned to the main party and, upon some broken conversation with Kevin, learnt that she had gone home early, muttering something about feeling unwell. He sighed, the weight of fucking up making his heart heavy as he began the walk back to the apartment. He reached her flat and knocked twice, calling her name when she didn't respond. When there was still no response, he took the spare key that she had given all of them and unlocked the door. He realised why she hadn't opened the door when he saw where she was standing: the fire escape. He rapped lightly on the window, in spite of it being open, asking for permission to enter. She turned around, phone in hand, clutched to her chest, her eyes wide with something resembling fear. Jughead frowned but waited for her to nod and let him in which, to his relief, she did. He climbed in and immediately apologies poured out about Toni's presence in Riverdale and the way the night had turned out, when he noticed that she wasn't really listening and her nodding was out of sync with his speech.

"Betts, are you okay?" He asked, concern replacing his guilt and she locked eyes with him again before showing him her phone: there were five voicemails from Polly.

* * *

Betty was exhausted – the party planning was exhausting, going around pretending to be happy to see people was exhausting and, as the icing on the cake, Toni her-current-boyfriend's-ex-girlfriend Topaz showed up, only making Betty more tired. She was too tired to even be mad at Jughead. She understood on some level why he didn't tell her. They were very similar that way; they prefered to keep things to themselves and work them out privately before talking them out with the other. Which had been Betty's go-to solution when she had excused herself from the party and checked her voicemail inbox for the first time in days. To her immense surprise and apprehension she had five voicemails from her sister. Somehow, this managed to simultaneously exhaust her further while also invigorating her.

She climbed out onto the fire escape as she often did when she needed to enter her own world. Her thumb hovered over the voicemails. Don't do it. And then she pressed, putting the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Betty. I hope you're well. I'm really sorry about how Christmas went down – it was a terrible move by me. I know you probably have a lot of questions about why I did what I did and I'm ready to answer all of them so just call me when you get this, okay? Bye."

 _Delete._

"Hey, it's me again. Obviously you didn't call, what was I thinking. I'm just, I'm really sorry Betty and I don't want to lose you again. You're my best friend. I know I don't always act like it but you are and I don't see the kids too much anymore and- yeah! Okay I gotta go now, bye! Call me!"

 _Delete._

"Okay, well, since you obviously aren't checking your voicemail or you're not calling me, I'm just going to tell you here. If you don't want to know, just ignore all the voicemails this one onwards and I won't call again."

Betty deleted this one too and her finger hovered over the next one, wondering if she did want to know. After some deliberation, she decided she didn't want to know alone and was about to call Jughead when there was rapping on the window behind her. She turned around to find the very person she had been thinking of. The second she allowed him out (she did greatly appreciate that he took her permission before joining her on the fire escape), he began apologising profusely for Toni but Betty wasn't really listening. She was still thinking about the voicemails. He seemed to realise and, when he asked her what was wrong, she showed him the voicemails. His brow creased and he looked back at her, asking for the course of action.

"Will you listen to them with me?" She asked, her voice a notch higher than usual. Polly had managed such a buildup that now she was both worried that there would and wouldn't be sufficient payoff.

"Betty, I – isn't it private – I mean-"

"You can say no, it's okay, Jug," she couldn't hide her disappointment no matter how much she tried. He seemed to notice and his face collapsed into a soft smile. He leaned toward her and kissed her on her forehead, lingering a moment longer than expected.

"Of course I'll listen to them with you," he took the phone from her and waited for her to give him the go. With a deep breath, she nodded and watched him click on it.

"Jason and I split two years after I ran away with the twins. He got custody over the twins and I got visitation rights. There are reasons that this happened that I can't go into over voicemail but let's just say I was unfairly treated by the court. Anyway, I'm afraid there's more mom in me than I thought, Betty. After you dropped by on Christmas Eve and the twins weren't there, I was freaked out. I mean I ran away because I wanted the happy content life that Riverdale couldn't give me, right? So I called Jason and told him that I wanted to set up this afternoon. He was weirded out but accepted since it was Christmas and all that. Basically it was a giant charade that I was maintaining in Boston," the voicemail ended and Betty looked at the phone in Jughead's hand through a vision blurry with tears.

"You okay?" He asked and she could tell he knew the question was stupid.

"Play the next one," she instructed and he looked at her for a moment, as if making sure she was sure, before he hesitantly clicked.

"I'm really sorry, Betty but I can't come to Riverdale. I know you're probably wondering why I didn't just come to Riverdale if Jason and I separated but Jason is trying to get rid of my visitation rights and I think the only thing preventing him from doing so is that I'm still in Boston and close to the kids. He's also been recently promoted, which means he's traveling more and leaving the twins with the Blossoms more. I'm hoping if I can provide enough evidence of neglect, I can get custody, but I also don't want them to go through another custody battle, y'know? It doesn't help that he's a lawyer, obviously. Anyway, I'm rambling, sorry. But that's the short version. Now, if you want to meet and talk more we can do that or-" the voicemail ended there and Betty stared at the phone, her eyes completely clear now. All she felt was white hot rage toward Jason for keeping Polly from the twins. And its intensity was staring to tire her out.

"Betts?" He prompted again when she had remained silent for a while and she met his eyes, only now hers flooding with tears. In an instant he pulled her into his arms and held her close, letting her cry and dampen his sweater as he rubbed her back gently and in rhythm to calm her. Slowly her breathing evened out and matched the rubs until she was able to speak again.

"I hate him," were her first words and Jughead nodded. "I hate Jason. He has no right to keep the kids from Polly. She's their _mother._ They deserve to see their mother, don't they? Ugh, I hate him so much. And on top of that I have _my_ mother on the other side who asks me if I've heard from Polly every other day and I keep lying to her and my father couldn't care less or at least he acts that way and Polly – Polly isn't even _trying_ to patch things up with them which is clearly because she has bigger problems on her plate thanks to one Jason fucking Blossom. It's just – I've always been the link between Polly and my parents. The mediator who relays messages and now neither of them are telling me the whole truth or their intentions and I just used to think that maybe if Polly just came back and talked to my parents we could be a real family for a change, you know? Not this broken trash that we are. But then this kind of stuff happens and Polly isn't turning to my parents for help or support and I can't either because they can't know about her and my family just feels like it's falling apart and there's nothing I can do to stop it!" Betty could feel the tears returning and her breathing becoming uneven again as she unleashed the last too many years of anguish at one go.

"Hey," Jughead put a hand on her shoulder to stop her monologue. "Betty, don't do this to yourself, okay? Don't give up. Your family has definitely been splintering for a while now but it isn't going to fall apart, okay? I know I don't know much about your family – you don't talk about your parents much – but from what I do know, you're definitely the only thing in your family still giving it the semblance of one, okay?" He looked at her with more earnest than he ever had, imploring her to believe his words and allow him to put her mind at ease. "You're so much stronger," he continued, "than all of the white noise. You're stronger than your mother; you're stronger than your father. You're what's holding this family together. So don't – don't let go," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze and maintaining eye contact throughout. Betty felt the knot in her chest loosen and her heart feel lighter. She realised that even if there were things Jughead didn't tell her as soon as they happened, he was still there for her, and he was evidently there for the long haul. She couldn't smile, but she wanted him to know that she was smiling on the inside, even if she wasn't able to show it on the outside.

"I won't," she agreed, and he pulled her into a hug again. This time it was just one so they could be close to each other and simply hold each other. She shut her eyes and breathed him in, allowing his body heat to seep into her as they stood in the moonlight. They stayed on the fire escape after the embrace. Jughead brought pillows and a blanket that they snuggled under, Betty's head on his chest as they stared at the starry sky.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about Toni. I should have told you as soon as I found out," he said after a few minutes of silence. Betty looked up at him curiously.

"Why didn't you?"

"After we broke up, Toni joined the box of people I want to forget about completely. She both made me believe in love and was my wakeup call about falling in love. I'm not proud of that, and of the way my walls reached monumental heights when she left. So I guess I figured that if I just ignored her and didn't tell anyone about her, the box would tighten and the walls would be reinforced," he admitted, looking at the ground in clear shame. Betty sat up, smiling reassuringly, and took his hands.

"Jughead, if we're going to be together, I want to know who you are. All of it," she said softly and he searched her eyes for any kind of reproach at his actions. She could already see cracks in the walls he claimed were at monumental heights. Slowly he nodded.

"Okay," he agreed and her smile widened.

"Okay," she echoed

They heard cheering in the glanced at her phone: midnight. She looked back at Jughead with a smile to find him mirroring her expression. Leaning in, she kissed him gently. "Happy New Year, Jughead Jones," she murmured against his lips. Then, pulling a little further away, she smiled. "Here's to new beginnings."

"To new beginnings, Betty Cooper," he replied and kissed her again before she settled back with her head on his chest to watch the celebratory fireworks.


End file.
